Operation: Save Henry
by OnceUponAShipper
Summary: It's 2029. Henry takes his girlfriend, Maya, home to meet his parents for the first time; it's Emma and Regina's anniversary. Before Henry has the chance to tell Maya the truth abut his family, something happens. Somehow, someway, Cora is back and nastier than ever. She and Peter Pan team up for their revenge. It's going to take the whole family, and Maya, to save Henry once again.
1. His Life

At 29 years-old, Henry Mills-Swan was living an enviable life. He had a stable job as a journalist, he made enough money to support himself, he had a family that loved him, and he got to come home to the most beautiful woman in the world. Maya, the same age as Henry, had long, golden hair with streaks of brown, bronze eyes, and caramel-like skin. He and Maya met while fighting for a story, which ended up leading to their first date. After six months of going out, he and Maya made the decision to move in together.

Maya knew very little of his family, other than he had younger siblings, two moms, and that they lived in small town in Maine. Henry held a lot of love for Maya, but he knew that at some point, she had to find to out who he was, as well as his family. Henry could very well see himself spending the rest of his life with Maya, and for that, she deserved to be told the truth.

A year and half after their first date, Henry asked Maya if she would like go to Storybrooke with him for his parent's anniversary. Excited at the prospect of finally meeting her boyfriend's mothers, Maya wasted no time in agreeing to the visit. It wasn't after a lot of cajoling on Henry's end, did Emma and Regina relent. In the weeks leading up to his visit, Henry collaborated with his moms, as well as his grandparents, for ways to make Storybrooke seem as normal as possible. For no reason, were they to tell Maya who they were, until Henry had the chance to speak with her. He was planning on telling Maya about the Book once they'd been in town for a little while. He thought that it would lessen the blow if she could see how nice everyone was, and that she didn't need to be afraid.

So, on March 12, 2029, Henry and Maya packed their car for the several hour's drive. Through the whole commute, Henry's heart raced through his chest, and he felt slightly numb. Maya sat in the passenger seat and worried about whether or not she'd make a good impression. She'd ask Henry would she should say or do, but Henry was only half listening. He kept picturing Dani, Dakota, or August sending plates flying through the air with their magic. Like Dani, the twins, had received their powers on their tenth birthday. A year later, they were freely using their magic. Regina had assured Henry that they were learning to control them, and that there wouldn't be any... incidents during the visit. Nevertheless, Henry was a wreck. While Maya had slept through the passage across the border- one nonexistent to outsiders- that was only the first bullet to dodge. How often do you introduce the person you love to your family- a family who also happen to be Fairy Tale characters?


	2. Meet the Family

"Remember what I told you, no magic around Henry's girlfriend," Regina scolded. August had just conjured up a bag of potato chips. Out of his two sisters, he was already a pro with his powers. Regina had already chastised August for his "reckless" use of his magic.

"And don't say anything about the Enchanted Forest, the curse, Neverland, Wonderland- any of it!" Emma added exasperatedly.

All four children nodded obediently, almost shamefully. "Good, all right. They'll be here any minute. Dani, can you greet them at the door?" Regina asked.

"Yeah," the, now, 14 year-old mumbled.

Dani dragged herself towards the front hallway, and Regina did her best to ignore the sarcastic look on her daughter's face. "Dakota and August, take one last look and make sure everything magical is hidden," the brunette instructed. The twins ran off together with August in the lead.

"What about me, Mommy?" an seven-old Faith questioned, her hazel eyes peered up at her mother.

"You, my little angel, can help you other mother with setting the table," Regina said maternally. Faith saluted and sprinted after Emma into the kitchen.

"They're here!" Dani announced through the house. The front door opened as the Swan-Mills family stampeded out into the foggy atmosphere and onto damp grass.

Dani ran up to her big brother and threw her arms around him. Henry had to plant his feet into the ground not to topple over. "Hey, Dani. I missed you, too." Dakota and August were next in line for hugs, and then Faith. Last, but not least, Emma and Regina welcomed their son home. Henry was aware of Maya standing behind him, and and reached for her hand. "Guys, this is Maya," Henry introduced. He tugged gently for his girlfriend to come out of hiding, until she stood right next to him. "Maya, this is everyone."

Dressed in light-wash jeans, a sky blue blouse, and a long, gray cardigan, Maya addressed the family with a timid voice. "It's very nice to meet you." She was afraid to look in the direction of Emma and Regina.

Dani was the first one to walk up to Maya. Heck, she was the first one to give the stranger a hug. "It's nice to meet you, too. Henry always talks about you," Dani said with a gentle smile.

Maya's nerves eased somewhat at Dani's sentiment, as she knew the Henry and his sister had a strong relationship. "Does he? I hope it's all good."

"It is," Dani assured. "Dax, August, come on," she waved to the twins. "Faith, it's ok."

"You're really pretty," Dakota complimented after her embrace with Maya.

The 20-something year-old blushed, "Thank you. You're quite beautiful yourself."

August shook the woman's hand like a gentleman. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

"Are you my new sister?" Faith asked innocently.

Regina rushed forward and put her arm around her youngest, "I'm sorry." She glanced up at Maya and extended a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Henry has said quite a lot about you. Though he never mentioned how beautiful you are."

Maya felt the heat in her cheeks increase, and wanted to cover them with her hands. "I- uh- Mrs. Mills-"

"Please, call me Regina." The brunette motioned for Faith to join her siblings, and the little girl did as her mother instructed.

Emma stepped forward then, the last to say anything. She gave Maya a firm, "I'm-the- sheriff-handshake." Emma noticed Henry staring at her, and knew he was begging her not to embarrass him. "Hi, Maya, I'm Emma." She looked back at her son as if to ask, "Good enough?"

"Thank you for letting me come along," Maya said politely.

"Of course! I'm looking forward to getting to know you. We all are," said Regina.

Henry, ready to explode with anticipation, suddenly blurted out, "Hey, can we go inside?" When Regina gave him a curious look and he added, "It's kinda cold."

* * *

It was an interesting day in the household of Regina Mills and Emma Swan. As their children acquainted themselves with Maya, the parents kept an observant eye on the young woman. It wasn't out of maternal defensiveness- well, not completely. No, they were more worried about what would happen once Maya learned the truth about who they all were. They knew Henry loved his girlfriend, and they hadn't seen him so happy before. If anything, they hoped that Maya would understand, somehow. The parents found her to be a kind, thoughtful, respectful young woman, and they only wished the best for Henry and his girlfriend.

Dinner was spent at home, which gave Regina a chance to display her cooking skills and Emma a chance to show off her mother bear talent. "So, Maya," she started as they helped arrange the food plates. "Where'd you say you're from again?"

Maya, with a bowl of stringed beans in her clammy hands, spoke carefully. "I grew up in Chicago, but I moved to Boston when I was 18."

"How come?" Emma probed. She felt the heat of Henry's gaze on her, but ignored it.

Embarrassed at her own story, Maya didn't look at Emma when she answered. "I, uh, was in foster care, and when I turned 18, I moved for college. I just... needed to get away."

Instantly guilty, Emma's face relaxed. "I can understand that." It was clear that Henry hadn't told Maya about Emma's own upbringing. In an attempt to show empathy, Emma admitted her own struggles. "I was in the system, too. Didn't make it to college, but I know what you mean." Maya's eyes flickered up to the blonde, and for the first time since she'd arrived, she felt comfortable in her surroundings.

Regina walked over with a large pan of lasagna and set it down in the middle of the table. The kids' eyes lit up with excitement at their mother's famous meal and buzzed in their seats impatiently. With a satisfied nod, Regina put her hands on her hips. "Dinner time."

* * *

Because Henry's room now belonged to Dani, and the guest room was Dakota and Faith's, Henry and Maya stayed the night at Granny's Inn. It had been a long, extraneous day, and the couple was ready to turn in for the evening. Henry brought the bags up to their room, while Maya was in the shower.

Maya had just come out of the bathroom when Henry started to unpack, her naturally curly hair frizzed as it dried. "How come you didn't tell me about your mom?"

Henry froze, suddenly convinced that Maya knew. "Uh, what?"

"Your mom was a foster kid... why didn't you tell me?" Maya specified.

After letting out a relieved sigh, Henry went back to taking out his own bed clothes. He turned to face Maya and gave her a casual shrug. "I thought she should tell you." It wasn't exactly a lie. He did think it should have come from Emma. After all, it was her story.

"Oh," Maya said. She frowned slightly, her cotton pajamas cradled her slender form.

Henry read Maya's face and tossed his sweats onto the navy sheets. "Hey, what's wrong?" He rested his hands on her waist, "You're not chickening out on me, are you?"

Trying not to smile, Maya clenched her jaw. "Hell no. I've come this far, I'm not backing out now."

"Good," Henry whispered in her ear. Maya's damp hair tickled his cheek and goosebumps poked through his neck. He knew time was only ticking away until he had to tell Maya, so he held her while he could. "Whaddu say we get some sleep? Tomorrow's gonna be a big day."

"That's right," Maya said through the smile that won. "I get to meet the rest of your family."

Henry pushed past the increase of his heart beat, "On second thought, if you do decide to chicken out..."

Maya played on Henry's flirtation and touched his forehead with her own. "Not a chance."

* * *

**A/N - I'M SOOOOO SORRY! I can't believe I posted the wrong chapter! Thank you for pointing out my mistake! Please forgive me!**


	3. Appreciation

Henry woke up by the rays of sun that broke through the curtains. With a soft groan, he turned onto his side and found Maya still asleep. Her face rested on the plush pillow in his direction, her eyes closed, and her pink lips parted slightly. Several streams of light made their way to her back, and reflected off the bare skin of her neck.

Henry remained still, his focus on his peacefully slumbering girlfriend. He still couldn't believe she was who he got to wake up to every morning. Almost two years together, and Maya's natural charm continued to captivate Henry. He'd told her many times of her mesmerizing grace, but she never believed him. Ever the modest one, Maya would always blush and look away. But Henry never gave up- a trait he'd inherited from Emma.

After a strenuous amount of mental preparation, Henry had come to the conclusion that that was the day. They would celebrate his parents' anniversary, and then when they were in their room again, Henry would show Maya the Book. He wasn't going to let himself escape his promise to be honest. He was going to tell Maya.


	4. Nostalgia

Emma and Regina spent most of the day getting ready for their anniversary dinner. For a change in scenery, they decided to celebrate at Granny's Diner. They thought it would give Maya a chance to see other places in Storybrooke, and it would help the kids maintain control over their magic. For some reason, public settings acted as an antidote to unexpected bursts of magic.

Henry and Maya arrived at the house around noon, which meant the family had plenty of time to get to know one another even further. Regina noticed how well Maya was with the kids, and she held a deep appreciation towards the young woman for that. Not everyone could handle the crazy Swan-Mills offspring, including the parents, but Maya seemed to hold her own amongst them.

Emma and Regina hung back and let Maya mingle at her own pace. If they'd learned anything in the previous 16 years together, it was that all good things took time. Especially when they knew Henry was about to reveal their family history.

"So, has Henry shown you around town?" Regina asked as she brought a tray of cider into the living room.

Maya respectfully picked up a glass and took a sip of the fresh juice. "Not yet. I love Granny's though."

"Yes, well, Granny has a knack for making guests feel welcome," Regina agreed. She took her seat by her wife and Faith crawled onto her lap.

"If you liked the Inn, you'll love Granny's Diner," Emma added. "Next to Regina, she has the best pastries."

Maya giggled, "Henry said something like that."

"Mom! Can we show Maya the castle?" Dakota asked.

"You've got a castle?" Maya questioned her boyfriend.

Henry looked away sheepishly and gave his sister the death glare. "It's, uh, more like a fort."

"Nuh uh, it's a castle!" Faith squeaked.

Maya raised her eyebrows at Henry, "Now I've gotta see this."

* * *

While the parents stayed at home, Henry, Maya, and the kids trekked through the woods towards the family go-to place.

"You never told me how beautiful it is out here," Maya mused as she walked hand-in-hand with Henry.

"I wouldn't know how to describe it," Henry answered honestly. "You'd love the water."

"Can you show me later?"

"Definitely."

"We're here!" Dakota called over to the older couple.

Henry helped Maya step over a fallen tree, and caught her when she tripped. "Thanks, babe," Maya said softly. "Now, let's see this castle."

Dani noticed something in her brother's eyes that she'd never seen before. They lit up around Maya and, in a small way, Dani was jealous. Sure, Henry would visit often, but not the way he used to. Dani couldn't help but blame Maya. As she stood on the mud, Dani remembered to remain calm. She could hear Regina's voice in her head, _"Your magic is linked to your emotions._" She had promised Henry there would be no magic slip-ups, and Dani was going to live up to that promise.

"Ta-da!" Dakota held her hands out to the aged, wooden structure. The sunlight beat down on it just enough to give it the life it so lacked.

Maya, with one hand still in Henry's, ran the other over the bumpy surface. She traced her fingers over the rusted bolts, and made note of every hole and splinter. "My mom built this when I was 11," Henry explained. "She thought it was safer than my old one. At the time, I just thought she was being mean. But, this one is still holding up."

"We always play on it after school," August piped. He climbed up to the top and held a hand over his eyes, like the captain of a ship. Dakota joined him, followed by Faith who had a little assistance from Henry. Dani leaned on the pole and kept a watchful eye on her younger siblings, yet still observing Henry and Maya.

"May I join you?" Maya asked the kids. Dakota offered a hand and pulled Maya up. She walked over to August and bent over slightly. "What do you see?"

With the vigilance of a practiced captain, August kept his gaze on the land before him. "Pirate ship at four o'clock," August asserted.

"Hey," Dani hissed as she swatted August's shin.

"Ouch!" the curly-haired boy cried. "Dani!"


	5. Resurrection

The night at Granny's began innocently enough. Dani, Dakota, August and Faith flitted around the diner amongst their relatives, while under the observant eye of their mothers. They ducked and jumped over the various balloons- all added to complete the festive feeling. The scent of cinnamon apples wafted through the air and created a festive environment.

With every addition to the intimate gathering, the dreaded task of introductions fell upon Henry. Maya stayed glued to his side, as she knew no one around her other than the kids. Henry kept a comforting arm around her waist, but even that didn't completely calm her nerves. She tried to mask the anxiety, and was faintly aware that she was not succeeding.

"You must be Maya," a motherly voice greeted from behind.

Henry turned to face his grandmother, his hand on the base of his girlfriend's back. "Maya, this is my grandma, Mary-Margaret. Grandma, this is Maya."

The pixie-haired woman smiled brightly at Maya and gave her a welcoming hug. "It's so nice to meet you!" When she pulled away, Snow beckoned for David to join them. "Maya, this is my husband, David."

The older man beamed at Maya with a twinkle in his eye, "Hi Maya. Welcome to Storybrooke."

Maya could see faint traces of David in Henry, but she also saw strong resemblances between Henry and Snow. She noticed what Henry was talking about when he told her his grandparents were rather young-looking. "Henry talks about you a lot," Maya managed to choke out. "He, uh, said you taught him to ride horses."

David waved a hand, "We've all taught him different things."

"Oh, no, I- I didn't mean only you- uh, I-" Maya's eyes widened in alarm as she struggled to formulate a sentence.

Snow placed a gentle hand on Maya's arm, "Of course not. David just meant Henry has a little of all us in him." Maya's heart beat rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. "It's all right, Maya," Snow said in a soothing, affectionate tone. "Here, come with me. I'll introduce you to some friends." She held out her hand and waited for Maya to accept. Once the distressed girlfriend let Snow guide her, somehow, her heart stopped racing.

"Don't worry, Henry," David clapped his grandson on the back. "Everything's going to be ok."

Henry watched Maya float through the room, "And what if it's not?" Having living in the real world, there were times when Henry had to be honest. He'd learned not to get his hopes up if there was even the slighted chance something would end badly.

David tossed his arm over Henry's shoulders, much like he had when Henry was a boy- though he'd been much smaller. He, too, watched his better half carry herself with the weightlessness of a feather. "It will, Henry. Just wait and see."

* * *

By the time dinner was passed around, Maya had met all of Henry's family, extended and immediate. She managed to carry on a conversation with Belle and Snow about books and schoolwork, all the while feeling as if she'd found a friend in the two women. When Red joined the group, she and Maya hit it off instantly, as Red reminded her of a foster sister she once had. Henry saw how well Maya was doing, and a little part of him let out the breath he'd been holding in all night. That is, until he saw Dani at the counter. She was sitting alone, picking at the plate of potato salad drearily.

"Anyone sitting here?" Henry asked the teenager.

Dani glanced down at the empty stool beside her. "Does it look anyone's sitting here?" she snarked.

Henry wasn't used to the sarcasm that laced Dani's words. He knew, if Regina had heard Dani, his sister would've gotten a lecture. But, from Dani's body language, that was the last thing she needed. Henry brushed off the harsh tone and slid onto the seat- one he had once occupied during an ice cream visit with Dani. "I know you usually like to talk on your own terms, but on the chance you don't want to... you wanna tell me what's up?"

Dani poked her fork into a potato dice and held it up. "Who made the salad? It tastes like a can of mayo."

"And you would know that how?"

"I bet it was Grandma. She always uses too much mayonnaise." Dani twisted and turned the small food square before stuffing it into her mouth. Over all of the chattering, she could still hear the rain that slammed onto the roof of Granny's.

From a side view, Henry saw how much Dani looked like Regina; the same hair, the same nose, even the same narrowed glare. But, when he saw her face-to-face, Henry knew Dani had the Swan eyes. "Now that you failed at changing the subject, what's up, Dani? You're not usually this quiet. I mean, you seemed happy yesterday."

"Who says I'm not happy now?" Dani shot back.

Henry leaned on the counter and shrugged, "No one. But, uh, happy people don't usually sit by themselves at a party."

Dani scoffed in annoyance and jumped off of the barstool. "You used to know what bothered me without even having to ask." With that, Dani stomped off in the direction of her mothers.

And, with a slight air of defeat, Henry rejoined David and Gold. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. People were getting along, talking, laughing, even Maya was having fun. It was all ok. Until it wasn't.

The front door flew open and slammed against the exterior of the diner with a loud crash. The conversations diminished into completely silence, and everyone shot their focus to the outside. Henry was halfway to close the door when he heard Gold groan in agony. The man was on the floor in mere seconds, his hand over his chest.

"Grandpa?"

"Rumple!" Belle cried. The Aussie dropped to her knees and held her husband. "Rumple, what is it?"

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is my daughter with... The Savior?" a cold voice asked from the doorway. A sharp, collective gasp shot through the room, as everyone saw the woman who had just appeared. "Don't look so surprised, dears. Pan, come."

The familiar blonde-haired man flew into the room, his green tattered clothes ever the same. He wasn't alone, though; he was followed by his shadow, its deep, purple eyes bore into the group. "It's been a long time, Henry," Peter Pan sneered.

"Henry, what-"

"Maya, get behind me," Henry spat. "Now!" He never raised his voice to his girlfriend, much less gave her orders. But, hearing the urgency in Henry's voice, Maya followed.

"Mo- mother?" Regina staggered backwards. "No. You're dead. We buried you!"

Cora let out a shrill laugh and threw her head back. "My dear, Regina, I see that you have learned nothing. Love is weakness, my daughter. It's blinded you to the power magic has."

"She's got the dagger," Gold managed to choke out from the floor. He was still hunched over, his teeth gritted.

"And what is this?" Core motioned to the ornaments hung around the room. There was a sick taste of amusement in her rigid tone. "A ball? Ah, well. Just another wrong I must correct." The woman waved her hand in the air, and all of the balloons and streamers turned into screeching bats. Snow and David held Johanna protectively, and Emma and Regina grabbed their kids.

Regina tried to use her own magic to counter her mother's, but it failed. Nothing happened. "What have you done?" she muttered in horror.

"What was necessary. Now, Peter, I do believe it's time to retrieve the item we've traveled so far for."

Pan broke apart from the sadistic witch and marched up to Henry with an evil grin. "You aren't really shocked are you, Henry? Don't you remember what I said? I always get what I want."

Henry could feel Maya shaking behind him, but he was powerless. "Don't touch her," he growled.

"It's not her we want," Pan assured. With the stealth of a cheetah, Pan's hands were wrapped around his prey's shoulders.

"It's really very simple, Henry, you see, your... grandfather is right," Gold smiled. She pulled her hand out of her black shawl and revealed a shiny, silver dagger. "I do indeed posses his life source. With every letter of his name that I erase, his soul will slowly die. And, as you can see, Rumplestiltskin is already feeling the effects." Cora said this with a whimsical nature that sent shivers down Maya's back. "As you've noticed, your mother's magic is useless around me. The only way to save your, dear, old- what do you call him? Grandpa- is if you come with us."

Henry looked over to the crumpled form of his oldest grandparent and saw the pain in Gold's eyes. He also saw the pleading _not_ to agree to the deal. "Don't do it, Henry," Gold gasped. "Don't."

"You're not understanding it, are you?" Pan interjected. "This isn't a choice Henry gets to make." The leader of the Lost Boys yanked on Henry's collar and dragged him to Cora.

"Henry!" Emma lurched forward, only to be sent soaring backwards into the wall.

"Let him go!" David roared. Anger spiked in his system, as he attempted to rush the magical duo. However, he was delivered the same fate as his daughter and crashed into the bar stools.

The frightened whimpers of all the children combined, but Cora was not having it. "Enough!" she barked and thrust her hand forward. The scared whining ceased, as the kids were put under a silence spell.

"Mom," Henry said in a steady voice. "Watch Maya. Protect her." Regina's eyes screamed disbelief as she helplessly watched her son in Peter Pan's hold. Henry took one last look at his petrified girlfriend. "I'm sorry," he mouthed.

Cora grinned in sick satisfaction, "That's a good boy, Henry. There may be hope for you yet."

"The dagger," Henry snarled. "Give them the dagger."

"Lesson number one, Henry. Never make a deal when the other person has the upper hand," Cora rasped. "Pan, now!" Peter Pan's shadow grabbed onto the three figures and lifted them off of the floor. Emma scrambled to stand up and run after Henry, but it was too late. The last thing she saw was Henry, Cora, and Pan airborne in the night's sky. It was only then that the storm cleared.

* * *

**A/N **- Again, soooo sorry for last night's mix-up. How's the pacing for you all? I know it's a little different than previous stories, but it's been a little more work as I'm creating a character that's doesn't exist on the show. As for the dagger references here, I took a little creative license, because I couldn't remember if it was possible to erase the letters. Anyway, I'm working hard on the next few chapters! Please let me know what you think so far!


	6. The Whole World is Spinning

Maya had no clue as what she'd jus bore witness to. For a moment, she thought- no, she prayed it was a dream. Who was that woman? Who was the guy? What did Regina mean, "You're dead?" Why did they take Henry? _Where_ did they take him? Maya was completely, and utterly terrified.

"What the hell was that?!" Emma hollered through the room.

Regina had been paralyzed in her spot until she hear her wife. The brunette turned on her heels and advanced on Gold, who was being assisted by Belle. "What did you do?!" Her hands were around the man's throat before anyone could stop her, though most of them were thinking the same thing. "What. Did you. DO?!"

Belle tried prying Regina off the wizard, but Regina didn't budge. In fact, Belle was the only one trying to stop it. "Regina, please," Gold squawked. "I didn't do it!"

"Bull shit!" Emma yelled. In an instant, she was Regina's side and wished she had David's sword. "You're the only one powerful enough to do that kind of shit! What the fuck did you do!"

"Nothing!" Gold cried. "I did nothing!"

David knew killing Gold wouldn't get them anywhere, and joined Belle in ripping Regina away. "Regina! This isn't going to help!" He held a thrashing Regina tightly and backed away from Gold.

"This is NOT happening again!" Emma exploded. Her fists were balled at her sides. "God-Dammit to hell!"

"Ma, what's happening?" Dani begged, tears in her eyes. "Where's Henry?"

"Red, take the kids home," David instructed, his voice strong with the commands of a reporting officer.

"Mommy!" Faith wailed as she was hauled out of the diner.

The whole room was filled with rage strong enough to knock down the clock tower. Emma paced back and forth furiously, her face bright red as the image of Henry in Pan's arms replayed in her mind. Regina sat herself at a table and held her head in her hands, the overwhelming feeling of guilt weighed down on her. Belle helped Gold stand steady as he attempted to catch his breath. Although unexpected, he understood Regina's outburst. He wanted to know the source of Cora's apparent resurrection just as much as her daughter did.

Maya stood in the corner, afraid to make a move. "Um, what just happened?" she asked in a feeble voice. She felt as though she were one step away from exploding in a fit of screams.

Emma stopped her mindless strides, suddenly reminded that Maya had just seen everything. "Fuck," the blonde grumbled. She started to step towards Maya, but the younger woman backed away.

"What happened?" Maya repeated with more force.

"What happened is that the mother I thought was dead is alive and has teamed up with Peter Pan to kidnap my son," Regina said mournfully.

"Um, did... did you say Peter Pan? But, he's not real. He's a fairy tale," Maya shook her head. She searched the rest of the room and all of the adults had the same expression on their face- one she couldn't put a finger on. "That's not possible," she asserted.

Snow carefully approached Maya, her hands up in surrender. "It's possible, because Peter Pan is real. We all are."

"What- what do you mean 'we?'" Maya's walls were ready to destruct with every second that passed.

David joined his wife and took her hand. "This is Snow White," he introduced calmly.

"And this is Prince Charming," Snow said. She saw Maya's eyes glisten with tears, and wished there was an easy way to break the news. "Henry was going to tell you-"

"Tell me what?! That you're all-"

"Fairy Tale characters, yes," Snow completed the sentence.

"We don't have time for this!" Regina howled. "Cora and Pan just took Henry! We have to find them!"

"How? We can't track shadows, Gina!" Emma snapped.

"No, but we can track Henry," Gold reminded. The old man limped to the table Regina occupied and flicked his wrist.

Maya jumped back again as a cloud of purple smoke arose out of nowhere. When the air cleared, an empty globe appeared. "What- what are you?"

Gold set his jaw and spoke over his shoulder. "A wizard."

"Gold is Rumplestiltskin," Snow explained. "He's also the Dark One."

Maya did _not_ like the sound of that. She sure she was going to wake up at any moment, back in her bed and Henry would be next to her. She was just waiting to be woken from her delirious dream. "Wha-"

"Maya," Snow said gently. "I know this must be... intense, but Henry needs us. You're here for a reason, whatever it is, and Henry needs our help. We can explain later, but right now you need to try and stay calm. Think you can do that?" Maya nodded in a stupefied state, unsure of what she'd just agreed to do. Snow gave her the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. "Good. Gold, go ahead."

The aged man pressed his finger onto the needle and let a drop of blood drop onto the spherical orb. The contours of a map made themselves apparent as they grew thicker and darker. "So? Where is he?" Emma questioned.

"This isn't right," Gold said under his breath.

"I swear to God, Gold if you don't tell us where Henry is, I will help Cora kill you," Emma seethed. Maya had never seen such a vicious side to anyone, including her foster homes. Then again, Maya had never seen a shadow carry three human beings. "GOLD!"

"I'm sorry, dearie. I can't tell you where they took Henry, because I don't know," Gold confessed. The globe he possessed had never failed him before, why now?

"What do you mean? That thing's supposed to show you!" Emma was losing patience. Ever second they wasted on a riddle, was a second they weren't finding Henry.

Regina dropped her hands onto the table with a loud thud, her eyes hallow. "I know where they're taking him."

* * *

As much as Henry wanted to fight, he knew it wasn't wise to do so when he was suspended 50,000 feet into the air. Even if he had, there was no doubt in his mind that Peter Pan or Cora, or both, would let him fall to his death. Pan had fastened a rope around Henry's torso to keep them connected, and just for fun, gave it viscous tugs at random intervals.

"Not long now, Henry," Cora said into the wind. "Our journey will soon come to an end."

"I got out of Neverland before," Henry poked. "I can do it again!" Most people would have found flying fun, even enjoyable. But, when it's at the hand of your captors, there was nothing fun about it. Henry ignored the yellow glow of the full moon and the hundreds of brightly shining stars, as none of it truly mattered. It wasn't a time to stargaze.

"We're not going to Neverland," Pan said. His shadow flew over them, its grasp pinched their clothes.

"No, we're going home, Henry," Cora beamed. She kept her gaze on the dark sky before her, excitement rattled her. "We're going to the Enchanted Forest."


	7. History Lesson

It was a tense walk home, to say the least. Emma and Regina bickered back and forth on how to get to the Enchanted Forest, while Maya was far enough behind that she felt safe. Snow and David were in the middle, and Snow made numerous efforts to coax Maya out of her state of shock. No matter how soft her voice was, or how comforting she tried to be, Maya hardly heard Snow White.

_Snow White?_ Maya thought to herself. _Prince Charming? Peter Pan? The Evil Queen?_ The names repeated in Maya's heard over and over again in a deep voice- Henry's voice. Maya was still extremely confused, but all she knew was, Henry was gone. 24 hours ago, things were just fine. Maya was in Henry's arms, Regina and Emma were the nicest parents she'd ever met, she got along with the kids perfectly, and she was content to live a world that did not involve fairy tales. Despite all of the evidence, if you could call personal background stories "evidence," Maya was sure a camera crew was about to jump out from the bushes and it would all be a joke.

Alas, Maya's hopes were incorrect. As she strolled down the darkened streets of Storybrooke- she got the reference now- there were no camera men in the shadows, and it was no joke. Her boyfriend was gone, kidnapped by evil fairy tale characters, and the only way to get him back was to work with Rumplestiltskin, Belle, Snow White, Prince Charming, The Savior, and the Evil Queen; people she had no idea existed until that night.

The closer the family got to the Swan-Mills residence, the colder Maya felt. Even under her thick, wool cardigan, goosebumps spread down her arms. Maya was paying zero attention to the fact that Gold and Belle were at the tail end of the group, until she felt a warm jacket fall over her shoulders. The alarmed women cringed away from the material, but stopped when she recognized the scent.

"It's Henry's," Gold informed the woman. "It was his father's, but now it's his. He rarely wears it nowadays." Maya kept her distance from the... wizard, only to be given a sympathetic look from both Belle and her husband.

"We're not going to hurt you," the Aussie said tenderly.

"Do not let my name frighten you, dearie. I am only the Dark One in title, not in nature." The man's shiny tooth glinted under the street light, and Maya saw a hint of normalcy in him. "I am first and foremost Henry's grandfather." Belle observed the meekness in Maya's body language and wanted nothing more than to assuage her fear. She was going to say something, when Gold gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Come now, we must get to the bottom of all of this. Maya, I assure you, once we find Henry, he will explain it all."

* * *

The trio landed in a dark, empty forest. Pan's shadow released them none-too-gently before hovering with its purple orbs staring down at the humans. Peter brushed the dirt away from his torn garments and spoke with the fervor of a man going to war. "You know what to do. Come back the moment they put their plan into action." The shadow nodded gravely before flying away, only to leave the three adults on their own.

Cora fixed her long, brown hair into her formally regal style, and her pantsuit into an elegant black dress. "There, that's more like it," she said in satisfaction.

The thick, braided rope still remained around Henry's waist, the other end held firmly in Pan's hands. "I'm a not kid anymore," Henry said sharply. "This isn't gonna work. My family's coming and you're gonna wish you stayed in Neverland."

Pan frowned intently, an dark gleam in his eyes. With every step he took, he seemed to grow taller, though Henry knew it was impossible. With Henry's dark, brown hair, the laugh lines in his cheeks, and the stubble on his chin, Pan raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone told you, you look just like Baelfire?" he asked with in a haunting voice.

Henry launched himself at the Pied Piper, angry growls erupted through his lips and bounced off of the bare tree trunks. Cora did not stop the scuffle, but watched in amusement. She let the brawl go on for several minutes before splitting the two apart like Moses and the Red Sea. "There, there. Feel better?"

Henry panted heavily, his lips curled back in a feral grimace. "What the hell is going on?! How are you even alive?! Mom buried your body! You're supposed to be dead!"

Cora examined her nails in boredom. "Details do not matter, my grandson."

"I'm _not_ your grandson. You're a psycho!" Henry wiped his bloodied nose with the back of his sleeve. "How are you alive?!" he repeated.

Pan chuckled and spit the blood out of his mouth. "You've grown up, Henry. You used to believe in magic."

"I still believe," Henry countered. "Just not in evil."

Cora snatched a fistful of air and Henry was pinned to a tree, invisible hands around his neck. The older woman made a sickening "tsk" sound with her tongue, her eyes lit with ferocity. "Your mother obviously hasn't taught you to use your manners."

Henry saw a flash of vulnerability in Cora's face and took advantage of it. "What's wrong, _grandma?_" he said through sputtered gasps. "Afraid they'll beat you like last time?" Before Henry knew it, he was thrown against the base of another tree, his back spasmed in pain. He fought the cries that flooded his throat, because if he let them go, Cora would have won.

"You insolent, disrespectful man-child," Cora blustered, her words cut through the empty space and she could see her own breath. The Queen of Hearts advanced on Henry like a snake ready to make its kill. With a casual hand, she grabbed onto a fistful of Henry's hair and pulled his face up to her own. "Drone on while you can, boy. Soon, you'll have no family to speak of."

* * *

Maya was still thoroughly convinced she was hallucinating as she sat in the living room. Emma and Regina continued to argue on the couch and completely ignored the rest of the family. Snow and Belle conferred with each other about a tactical plan, and their respective husbands discussed Pan's possible motives.

To Maya, everything else was a foreign language. Words like "portal" and "dimension" were tossed around with an ease unfamiliar to the oblivious woman. Through her numb lips, she mumbled, "What did you mean when you said, 'This isn't happening again?'" She looked directly at Emma, and instantly, the other two dialogues cut off. "Henry never said anything."

"That's because he'd have to tell you about us," David chimed in regretfully.

When Emma didn't answer the question, Snow scanned the room. "Someone has to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Maya didn't like the eery silence that washed over the group. It reminded her of when she was removed from the only foster home she ever loved- the way the adults skirted around the topic. "Please, I want to know," she begged.

Emma rubbed her hands together and stood up with a tired sigh. "16 years ago, when Henry was 13, he was abducted and taken to Neverland."

Maya's jaw dropped, "You're kidding, right?"

The blonde shook her head, "I wish."

Regina pushed herself off of the couch and finished the story. "A portal was opened- the only way to travel between worlds- which makes it harder to know how Pan's shadow can cross to our land. Henry was taken through it. We spent weeks on the island searching for him, while Peter Pan convinced him he was a Lost Boy."

"A Lost Boy?" Maya was even more befuddled than before. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation.

"A child who feels abandoned," Regina clarified. "We finally got to Henry and brought him back, but not without losing one of our own. Henry's father."

"Henry's dad? Neal?"

Emma's head snapped up, "He's told you about Neal?"

"Wha- he said he died in a car crash," Maya relayed. "But, wait- who took Henry the first time?"

It was Snow's turn to go further into the experience, her hand in David's. "People who found out about us. People from beyond Storybrooke."

Maya moved her head back and forth, her brain started to hurt from all of the information. "I'm totally lost."

There was no good way to explain everything that had happened, not without scaring the living hell out of Maya- or what was left to scare. Snow knelt down in front of the woman in Henry's chair, and rested her hand on the Maya's knee. "Sweetie, this town- Storybrooke- doesn't exist to the outside world. No one ever comes or goes, except for Henry. We can't."

"But I'm here," Maya stammered.

"Because Henry brought you. The border, to us, is marked with an orange line. If we cross it, we lose all memory of who we are. But to you, and everyone else, the town line nothing but empty land." Snow wished there was a way to make it sound less alarming, but there wasn't. Snow had a feeling Maya was going to play a part in Henry's rescue, and if they had any chance of getting him back, Maya needed to know everything.

"I'm sorry, I just- I don't get it," Maya whimpered with tears in her eyes

"There's nothing to be sorry for," David calmed.

"Maya," Emma started as she approached her. "Believe me, I know more than anyone in here how hard it is to believe, but right now, we've gotta keep it together. As soon as we make a plan, I promise you, we can talk more about it, ok?"

Maya heard how much Emma sounded like Henry, and in a strange way, she felt comfort in knowing so. As if someone new had invaded her body, Maya wiped her eyes and shot up. "What can I do to help?"

In the footsteps that her brother had left to fill, Dani had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation from the top of the stairs. Red was in Dakota and Faith's room, along with August. Her job was to distract them from everything else. Dani was the only one of the Swan-Mills children to know what was happening, and she was the only one of them ready for a fight.

* * *

"We'll make camp here," Core ordered. In graceful hand movement, two green tents appeared, as well as logs and a fire. It was getting colder outside, and the campfire brought a welcomed heat source.

Pan pulled on Henry's leash with a maniacal laugh, "Come on, now, Henry. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Bruises and cuts covered Henry's face from his fight with Pan, his bottom lip swollen. "What are you doing off the island? I thought the Lost Boys will die without you there to abuse them."

Pan jerked Henry forward and clutched his throat with one hand. "Boys," Cora warned just as Pan opened his mouth. "Save your energy for the morning. We've got a long day ahead of us."

"Saved by your grandmother," Pan sneered. His hand was still wrapped around Henry as he spoke. "Tomorrow, you'll understand. It'll all make sense."

"Grandpa Gold told me about you, _Peter_. I don't blame you for being angry. I would be, too if my mother and father traded me for a pint of beer." Henry didn't know where his sudden bout of tenacity had stemmed from. His only guess was that it was half Emma and half Regina. His bravery didn't prevent him from feeling pain, though, as Pan sucker-punched him in the gut.

Henry toppled over and coughed into the dirt. Pan dragged the slender man across the ground and tossed him into the tent. "Sleep well, '_Kid.'_"

* * *

**A/N - **Sorry there were so few updates yesterday! I had some stuff I needed to take care of. There should be more coming soon, and at quicker intervals! Thanks for the great comments so far! This one will definitely be a roller coaster, so buckle up! Keep leaving reviews! I love hearing what you all think! :-)


	8. Motives

When Maya woke up the next morning, she'd forgotten where she was. However, when she realized Henry wasn't next to her, she remembered it all; his disappearance, the shadow, the purple clouds of smoke, Snow White, Peter Pan, everything came flooding into Maya's half-conscious mind as she sat up slowly. The entire family had spent the better half of the night strategizing and quarreling. Emma and Regina were worst of them all. Regina wanted an immediate strike, and while Emma wanted to act quickly, she knew from experience having a well-thought plan was more important. Maya had been left to decipher what she could, with little help from the others. She neither asked further questions, nor interrupted their meeting, as she made herself listen to what they were saying.

Maya slept the rest of the night by herself in a room she didn't know, in a town she'd never been in, with people she'd only ever heard about from the movies. In the first moments after she opened her eyes, all Maya wanted was Henry. She already missed his strong arms around her waist, the morning kiss that brushed her cheek, the stubble on his chin she always grazed with her knuckle. The man she loved had been taken from her, and despite the reasons or who took him, Maya was sure of one thing: she was going to get him back. Maya and Henry were going to be together again.

* * *

Henry awoke to a bucket of water poured on his face. Drenched, and freezing, Henry's teeth chattered as his eyes opened to the bright sunlight above him. The agonizing silence was all the reminder Henry needed to know where he was, and who he was with.

"What a beautiful morning it is," a strident voice greeted. Cora.

Henry wiped his face and dried his skin. He felt the heat from another body behind him, and didn't have to look to know who it was. "Well, well, well. Look who survived their first night," Pan mocked. Henry pushed through the throbbing in his head and fumbled to stand up, but Pan was one step ahead of him. The tangled rope still hung from Henry's waist; with every movement he made, Pan wrenched the tied knot and Henry fell back to the damp earth. "What's the rush, Henry? Relax, eat something." He held out an apple to the man, then smirked. "Oh, that's right. You don't like apples."

As if she'd just noticed their presence, Cora walked over to the guys, her dress flowed in the wind behind her. "And how did you sleep, dears? Well I hope."

Henry had enough oxygen in his lungs to say, "Go to hell." Yes, he definitely inherited Emma's use of language.

Cora straightened her spine and gave Henry a tight-lipped smile. "Still no respect. We'll just have to fix that."

"What do you want with me? My heart? You're never gonna get it."

The Miller's Daughter looked down upon Henry with pity. "Is that what you think? My dear boy, you couldn't be more wrong." She motioned for Pan to bring Henry forward, as royalty never did the dirty work. "We need you alive, with your heart, for our plan to work."

"What plan?"

"All in due time, Henry," Cora pat his cheek. "All in due time."

"Speaking of hearts, where's yours?" Henry challenged. He saw a fire in Cora's eyes that he'd only ever seen once. "Wherever you hid this time, if you did, my family's gonna find it. And then they're gonna find you."

Cora chuckled in delight- the kind she got when she was about to commence torturing a poor soul. "I'll let you hold onto your delusions, for one reason: so you cam watch them die along with your family."

Henry lurched forward, but Pan pulled on the rope. "You'd kill your own daughter?!" he spat angrily. "Your grandchildren?!"

Cora was just an inch away from Henry's face, their noses close to touching. "Why, of course I would, Henry. Your family is the only thing standing in our way."

"Way of what?"

The older woman released a gutteral laugh, much deeper than her daughter's. "Power."

* * *

Maya had a magical hangover. Given everything she had to process, with so little time, her head was spinning. To her own surprise, she returned to Regina and Emma's home later that morning, ready to learn what she could.

When she arrived, the front door was unlocked, and she could hear muffled voices in the other room. The Charmings and Belle and Gold were already there, discussing new ideas. Maya crept through the front hallway and into the living room as she had the night before, and for a brief moment, felt déjà vu. All of the adults were in the exact same places as they had been just hours ago, and all of them wore the same tired expression. In the back of her mind, Maya couldn't help but wonder where the kids were.

"Red's watching them," Emma answered Maya's unspoken question. She could read it on her face; the mild confusion, among other things.

Maya saw the weary look in Emma's eyes, the creases in her forehead that had deepened over time, the years of worry that weighed down on her. Although she was extremely physically fit for 47 years-old, Emma's emotional state was still a work-in-progress.

"It's all right, Maya. You don't have to stand so far away," Snow beckoned to the young woman. Maya took baby steps towards the small army, her eyes shifted nervously. "How are you?"

"Uh, well, considering my boyfriend's family is from a book of fairy tales, ok," Maya tried to joke.

"Now that you've had some time, I have to insist that we refocus," Regina said crisply. "We think we know why they took Henry."

"That's good, then, right?" Maya asked. She examined the room for confirmation, but all she got was more silence.

"Not exactly," Emma said gravely. Her blonde hair fell over her face, and Maya watched the mother's body language fall. "When Pan took Henry the first time, it was because he wanted his heart."

"And if he's working with my mother, the Queen of Hearts-"

"Queen of Hearts? Like from Alice in Wonderland?" Just when Maya thought she had heard it all, more bombshells.

Emma was the only one who'd seen the movie, so she was the only one who could answer. "Yeah, except she's real."

"If Pan's with my mother," Regina went on, "then it's for revenge. He didn't get Henry's heart the first time, now he's trying again."

"But we still don't know Cora's reasons," Snow added.

"Maya?" Belle questioned. Henry's girlfriend was staring blankly into the fireplace, her chest rose and fell with her breathing. She felt a strange tingling in her finger tips and her heart beat take off faster than a race car. "Maya?"

"Maya look at me," Emma instructed. Maya was starting to hyperventilate and Emma cupped her face the way she would her own children. "Maya, you've gotta breath. I know it's crazy, but you have to calm down."

Snow left the room and was back in the blink of an eye with a paper bag. "Here," she offered it to Emma.

"Breath into this, it'll help," Emma held it up to Maya and waited for the anxiety-ridden woman to stop shaking." After a about a minute of deep breathing, Maya's heart returned to its normal pace, and Emma gave her an encouraging smile. "There."

"I'm s- sorry," Maya sobbed, the bag crumbled in her grasp.

"Don't be. No one blames you, but we don't have a lot of time. We have to stick together and figure this out. I know it's a lot to ask you, but are you with us? Can you handle this?"

Maya could feel everyone eyeballing her intently as she flipped a coin in her mind. Heads she stayed, tails she left. It landed on heads. "I'm here."

"Good. First thing's first. There's something Henry wanted to show you. Gina?" Emma glanced over her shoulder.

Regina held her hand out, palm up and conjured a heavy book. This time, Maya didn't even flinch. "What's that?" she asked quietly.

The brunette placed it in Maya's empty hand and met her gaze. "Our lives."

* * *

Cora paid no mind the to the tension that followed her through the woods. She could hear the grunts from Henry as he was dragged from the ground over and over again. Pan, for no particular reason, jerked Henry's rope and watched playfully as he fell over.

It was a long day's walk in the blistering sun. Since the curse, the climate Enchanted Forest remained constant. No rain, no snow, just the giant ball of fire in the sky, and cool winds. The empty land that had been untouched by Regina's wrath grew in size, but not population. In fact, just the opposite. Very few people still lived among the barren forest, and Cora, Pan, and Henry encountered even fewer.

"Do try and keep up," Cora remarked disinterestedly. She held handfuls of her long, heavy skirt above the ground, careful not to let it make contact.

"You heard the woman, Henry. We can't disappoint," Pan snickered.

Dried blood stuck to Henry's knuckles from where he punched Pan in the nose, his own lip busted and numb. "God forbid we slow the queen," he mumbled.

"What was that, dear?" Cora asked loudly, her cold voice bounced off of the many trees around them.

"Are you gonna tell me what this about yet? Or just keep me tied up like a dog?" Henry demanded.

"What we are planning to do is our concern, young man. As to your... captivity, until you learn how to respect your leaders, you will remain as such."

* * *

Maya flipped through the aged pages and skimmed each section of words. This is where her speed reading skills came in handy. She finished the entire book in under an hour, and when she closed it, she was speechless.

Belle and Gold had left for his shop to find anything that could possibly help them. Through all of his toys and trinkets, there had to be some object that could be of use. Emma and Regina had gone to the cemetery for reasons unspecified at the time, and still hadn't returned. Snow and David had volunteered to stay home with Maya, as someone needed to be there when she was done.

"Do you have any questions?" Snow asked from the couch.

Maya traced the letters on the cover, her brain ready to explode. "This is all real?" she asked in barely audible whisper. "You're really Snow White and... Prince Charming?"

"Yeah, we really are," David nodded.

"And Regina's the Evil Queen?"

"Was," Snow corrected. "She _was _the Evil Queen. She's not anymore. She's good."

Just, then, the front door opened and Belle and Gold appeared in the walkway. "Anything?" David asked quickly.

Gold shook his head in sorrow. "I'm afraid there was nothing."

Less than a minute later, Emma and Regina were back. "It's gone," Regina grumbled.

Snow jumped up from her seat, "What is?"

"My mother's spell book." Regina looked into the eyes of the six other figures in the room. "She has it."

* * *

Cora stood on a rocky ledge that overlooked the ocean, a small, old codex in her hands. The sun was beginning to lower and hide behind the scattered clouds, its orange glow radiated off of the still waters. They were so close to starting their mission, Cora was taste it.

Henry was tired, his entire body ached, his throat was dry, and yet, all he could think about was Maya. He saw her in his head, fleeing from the town he'd grown up in, and never looking back. He felt her fear through the dimensions, and he wanted so desperately to be there with her, holding her.

Rope burns had etched their way through Henry's shirt and into his skin. His knees buckled every few steps, but Pan always caught him before he hit the ground; not out of remorse or kindness, but out of mindfulness of the time.

"How much longer?" Pan asked Cora. He couldn't ignore the book she held, but asked no questions, as he truly did not care. The only thing he was concerned with was the plan.

"Patience, my dear," Cora grinned. The two thought they were far enough and out of earshot from Henry. They didn't know about his impeccable hearing ability. "My daughter and her family will come soon enough. Then... Then we can begin our reign."

* * *

**A/N** - I'm working as fast as possible for new updates! I hope you're all enjoying it! Please, hang tight, and I'll add what I can :-) Thanks again for all the positive feedback!


	9. Time is Ticking

Before Henry met Maya, the only times he'd ever been exposed to true love, were with his parents and his grandparents. Because of them, he knew it existed, he just didn't know if it was in the cards for himself. But, after a life-altering meeting with Gold, Henry came to understand that true love did, in fact, happen to everyone. He knew not to force it, but to let it come to him.

That's why, when he found Maya, Henry had made it his priority to love her and protect her with his whole being. He couldn't tell you why, but he knew Maya was his true love. He promised to do whatever he had to in order to keep her safe from the demons that followed his family. It was always a given that Henry would have to tell Maya about his origins, as well as the origins of his relatives, and he didn't like to lie, but he did what he had to do. That's what he told himself, anyways.

As Henry sat on the rough, twig-infested, creepy-crawler mound of dirt and examined his surroundings, he made a three more promises to himself. He was _going_ to get back home. He was _going_ to see Maya again. And, he was _going_ to keep his family safe. At any costs.

* * *

Regina and Emma had spent most of the day fighting about the best way to get Henry back. Despite the rest of the family's presence, and Maya's, the two women were aggressively at each other's throat and showed no signs of stopping. That is, until Emma had an idea.

"The kids," the blonde said in a moment of realization.

"They're with Red," Regina reminded in annoyance. She was in no mood to get off topic.

"No, Gina, the kids can help," Emma rephrased. Everyone turned to Emma and waited for a further explanation. "Cora told Henry, 'Your mother's magic is useless around me.'"

"Right, and it is. I wasn't able to stop her," Regina said bitterly. She blamed herself for letting Cora take Henry. If she'd had her powers, she could have saved her son.

"But that's it, Gina. _Your_ magic is useless. The kids' isn't," Emma decided.

Regina followed where Emma was going with this, and shook her head before her wife could finish. "No! Emma, NO! We are NOT doing that to them! They're children!"

"Not I'm not," a rigid voice answered from the door.

"Dani?" Emma twisted around. "What are you doing here? Where's Red?"

The teenaged girl stood firmly, "I wanna help."

"Daniela, you don't know-"

"Yes I do, Mom! I'm not a little kid! I can help! Dakota and August and Faith- we can all help!" Dani stomped her foot, and to Regina, it was the only sign she was still her baby.

"Dani, where's Red?" Emma repeated. "Does she know you're here?"

"Ma, please! I can control my magic now! So can August and Dakota!"

Maya stood up and held the Book to her chest. "You've got it, too?"

Dani shot a harsh glare at Maya, "You know?"

"We told her," Snow jumped in.

"If you have it, then Henry does, right?" Maya asked hopefully. "Can't he just-"

"No, Henry doesn't have magic," Regina said sourly. "He's never had any."

"But they-"

"They were born with it," The Savior informed. Although it was a rather intimate detail, it was one that needed to be said for it to make sense. "The kids- they're biologically half Regina and half myself."

Maya saw no point to this. "Yeah, a lot of gay couples mix-"

"No, Maya. They were, uh, conceived by Regina and I." Emma felt the heat in her cheeks, but trudged on. "They were created magically. Regina carried them. They've got both our genes. That's why they can do magic, and that's why Henry can't."

"Get it now?" Dani snapped.

"Daniela, there's no need to be rude," Regina rebuked. It may have been a time of crisis, but Regina was still Daniela's mother.

"Dani!" a breathless voice called from behind. Red came running int the house towing the twins, Faith, and Johanna. "I told you not to run off!"

"You're Little Red Riding Hood," Maya deciphered.

Red glanced up at the stunned woman, "Not so little, but yeah. Guess the wolf's outta the bag."

"Ma, what's going on?" August asked, his own emerald eyes met his mother's.

Dakota jumped in after her brother, "Is it about Henry? You know where he is?"

"Is Henry ok?" Faith added.

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong with Henry?" Johanna asked her parents.

Emma and Regina shared a tense staring contest, until Regina broke away. "Red, please, take them back to Granny's-"

"I'm not leaving!" Dani pouted.

"Daniela, you're too young-"

"I'm 13! I'm the same age Henry was when he got taken to Neverland!"

Suddenly, all four Swan-Mills children, including Johanna, started speaking at once. "I want to help! Where's Henry?! I want Henry back! Is Henry going to die?!"

Their squabbling was cut short when Gold cried out in agony, his head tossed back and his mouth wide open. David rushed to the older man's side, threw Gold's arm around his neck, and carried him to the couch. When he looked up at the prince, Gold was sweating. "It's Cora," he panted. "She- AHH!"

* * *

"Stop it!" Henry growled. He watched helplessly as Cora burned away the "U" in "Rumplestiltskin." The dagger in Cora's hands reflected the sunlight and ricocheted into Henry's eyes.

Cora curled her fingers around the ancient artifact and stuffed it safely into her leather satchel. "That's enough of that," she quipped when she saw a tear drop onto Henry's cheek. "Men must strong and mighty. You... you are fragile and powerless. What has your mother done to you?"

Pan made circles around Henry, "She's right, you know. I thought I taught you better than to show weakness."

"You thought wrong," Henry spat.

He rebelliously yanked on the rope and noticed Pan lose his footing. "Think that's funny, do you? Well, laugh at this." The last thing Henry saw before losing consciousness, was Pan's closed fist aiming for his face.

* * *

"Another letter's been erased," Regina inferred as she observed Gold. "Dani, please, you have to stay where it's safe. Watch your siblings-"

"Regina, wait." It was Snow who stopped the brunette from ushering the children out of the room. "Maybe Emma has a point."

"No! I am _not_ letting my kids anywhere _near_ my mother, or Pan! Have you lost your mind?!"

Snow took one glance at Maya before she understood the reason for her being there. "Just hear me out. What if Emma's right? What if Cora only blocked _your_ magic? She couldn't have blocked the kids', because she couldn't have known about theirs."

"But we don't know how long she's been... alive," Regina pointed out with a slight shudder. "She could have seen them practicing-"

"And if she did, then we always have plan B." Snow felt a rush of adrenaline as the abrupt notion popped into her head. "We've all got something to offer: archery, magic, sword-fighting, knowledge, thievery- sorry Emma. What if we teach the kids? What if we show them how to-"

"How to what, Snow? Fight? Out of the question," Regina argued, her arms crossed over her chest. In that moment, she was the epitome of a mayor. "We don't have the time! Henry could be- we can't throw away vital time like that!"

Dani ran up to her parents with begging eyes. "Mom, grandma's right. We can learn, and do it quickly! We can help Henry!"

Regina tried her damnedest not to sound too brash. "It's not that easy, Dani. Your grandmother- Cora is more powerful-"

"I don't care!" Dani urged. "Mom, Henry needs us!"

"I know that!" Regina snapped. She turned away from her daughter and bit back the tears she'd been holding in since the moment Henry had been taken.

"Then let us help!" Dan held her ground and never backed down. Her stubbornness came from both of her mothers.

"I- I'd like to learn," a forgotten voice piped. Snow and David stepped apart and Maya emerged from behind them, her own blood rushed in her ears. "I want to learn. Can you teach me?"


	10. Lesson Number One

Snow was right. Every single person in their family had some talent, some defensive skill that could help them save Henry- regardless of whether or not Regina saw it, or wanted to see it.

One day, and one day only. That was Regina's only wish. The longer the spent teaching the younger ones, the more danger Henry was in. Of course, none of the adults were under the impression that their proteges could learn all of their expertise in the course 10 hours. That's why, a pre-test was conducted; an experiment to see what each individual already had basic proficiency in. Dani, Dakota, August, Faith, Johanna, and Maya all had a turn with an instrument, whether it was a a sword, a bow and arrow, or a spell book.

In the end, Dani and August followed the footsteps of Regina and Gold footsteps, and started their training. Dakota took after her grandfather in sword-fighting, and David gladly took her under his wing. Seeing as Faith hadn't received her powers yet, she and Johanna went with Emma to expand their finesse. And Maya, to her own surprise, was fairly good with a bow. That meant she went with Snow.

The entire clan, all 11 of them, gathered in the wooded area of Storybrooke. Not only did it give them enough space to practice, but also a feel for how the Enchanted Forest may look, however less or more elegant.

It was almost comical, the adults stood across from their apprentices. Maya was half-expecting Professor X and Magneto to appear. But, as she was quickly learning, everything was real, and none of it was funny.

Regina paced in front of the students like an admiral, her hands behind her back. "The Enchanted Forest is not what it once was," she said heavily. "Kingdoms have been destroyed, people have fled to any part of land they could find, self-preservation has inserted itself into the lives of the inhabitants." Dani had never heard her mother sound so loathsome. She supposed it was because Regina still carried the guilt of the curse. "The Forest is even more of a maze than Neverland was. If you get lost, you don't have a map or cell phone to guide you."

"Peter Pan is not one to antagonize," Gold inserted, his bodyweight shifted onto his cane. "We have little time to tell you what you need to know, but if anything, remember he is not what he seems."

"We knew we're asking a lot of you," Snow added maternally, "but I faith that you'll do well. And don't forget, when it comes time, we'll be right next to you."

"The sooner we can get finished, the sooner we can get Henry," Emma finished.

Maya stood five feet away from Snow, and raised her hand hesitantly. Emma nodded to the woman and gave her the go ahead. "How are we going to get there? I thought you said a... portal is the only way. If I read the stories right, and if I've been told correctly, we don't have a way to make one."

"We'll take care of that," Emma responded. "You just worry about hitting your target."

* * *

Henry had little time to recover from his strike from Pan. After three hours of stumbling through the woods, Henry felt ready to pass out. Sweat plastered wisps of hair to his forehead, and every few seconds or so, his eyes started to roll back form exhaustion. In the two days he'd been held prisoner, he'd lost all sense of direction. He didn't know which way was north or south, let alone where they'd come from. All he focused on were the two devils in front of him.

"We're nearly there, my dear grandson," Cora tossed over her shoulder. She said this with a flippancy that signified Henry was no more than an animal.

"Stop calling me that," Henry grunted as he avoided tripping on a rock.

"If I recall, Henry, that's all you wanted- a family," Pan snorted. "I told you, you always had a place with us."

"I'd rather have my heart ripped out than join your Lost Boys."

Cora spun on her unnaturally high heels, and narrowed her eyes at Henry. "That can be arranged." Without warning, she thrust her hand into Henry's chest and coiled her fingers around his beating heart. She ignored the arduous gasps that slid through Henry's lips, and proceeded to retract her hand. The Queen of Hearts held Henry's up to his face, and acted as though she were about to crush it." Next time you say something, be prepared for the consequences."

Henry's eyelids fluttered as he felt Cora put his heart back. "I knew you couldn't do it," he tested.

"It's not a matter of what I can and cannot do, Henry. It's whether I would or would not."

* * *

"Good. Again," Snow commanded with a force Maya didn't think she was capable of.

With one hand around the wooden neck and one pinching an arrow, Maya aimed for the make-shift target on the tree. She arched her back slightly, held her head high, and squinted at the large, round, painted dot. The arrow was released and shot through the air, landing just shy of Maya's intent.

"I'm sorry," Maya lamented.

"Sorry? That was excellent! You're learning a lot faster than I did," Snow encouraged.

"Not fast enough," Maya grumbled. She turned around and observed the other children working hard to master their own skills, and couldn't deny they were all far ahead of her.

"Maya," Snow started. "Under the circumstances, you've been doing really well. I can't imagine what it's like to suddenly learn that everything you thought was fake is true, but you've handled things with so much grace. Henry will be so proud of you."

"You don't have to do that, you know," Maya grumbled. "You don't have to talk to me like I'm fragile or something."

Though insulted at the accusation, Snow kept her voice steady. "I'm not."

"I spent my whole life around people who tiptoed around me. I'm not as weak as some people think." Maya had never asserted herself so freely to someone she barely knew. A small part of her felt bad for her transparent words, but the rest of her was glad to finally have said something. Her entire world had changed on a dime, and although Maya was struggling to hold on, the last thing she needed was being treated like an outsider.

Maya took note of Emma and the way she carried herself; her confidence, her drive, and well-adjusted attitude. It'd been 11 years since Maya got out of foster care, but it was still a part of her life. "Emma wasn't always like this," Snow offered. "It took her time, too. We've spent the last decade and a half trying to put our family back together, but it doesn't take away from what she lost."

"She makes it look so easy. All of it."

"You can, too," Snow pushed. "You have the focus, and you have the talent, Maya."

"I just want Henry back," Maya whispered. She unknowingly tightened her grasp on the weapon, her senses heightened.

"And we'll get him." Snow took three steps forward until she was right behind Maya. With ginger hands, Snow placed hers over Maya's and navigated their hold. Snow could feel Maya shivering, but ignored it. "Easy," Snow advised. "All right, now." Maya released the pointed weapon and it flew straight into the middle of the dot. "There. You've got it now."


	11. They've Arrived

By seven o'clock at night, the students had more or less completed enough training to prepare for Cora and Peter Pan. They were drained, emotionally and physically. Their bodies ached from the power they'd exerted, but more than anything, they're determination had spiked in the last minutes of their lessons.

The family reconvened at the Swan-Mills residence, and put the final touches on their plan. The main problem to solve: how to get to the Enchanted Forest.

"Jefferson. He's still got his hat," Emma thought.

"But it was nothing more than tatters when he got it back," Regina muttered. Each adult was spread around the room by the person(s) they'd taught. The sun may have been going down in Storybrooke, but their day was far from over.

"What about the beans? Is there a way-"

Regina shook her head and cut Emma off. "No, the one used to travel to Neverland was truly the last of them."

Maya dug into the small amount of knowledge she had, "What about the Wardrobe?"

"It doesn't work," Emma rued. "Not enough... magic." Another light bulb went off in her mind. "But I know where we can get some." She peered over at her eldest three, "Gina, it's possible to combine powers, right? I mean, we did it with the diamond."

"Yes, but-"

"Then it would be possible to do it again. You, Gold, Dani, Dakota, and August. If you pool your magic, we could fire up the Wardrobe," Emma assumed.

"That's a rather good idea, dearie," Gold agreed. "I just have one question. Where _is_ the wardrobe."

Snow lifted her chin, and spoke firmly. "Geppetto."

* * *

Night had fallen on the Enchanted Forest, and it was time for all of its creatures to lurk in the dark woods. Distant grumblings alarmed Henry, as he didn't know who, or what it came from. With every forced step he took, Henry's arms felt like dead weight that hung lifelessly at his sides. His clothes were ripped and bloodied, his beard itchy and annoying. Cora and Pan said close to nothing to him as they neared their destination, but Henry didn't mind the silence. It helped him concentrate on his own plan.

Henry wasn't paying attention where they were going, until Cora and Pan stopped. "We're here," she said happily. Through puffy eyes, Henry looked outward and realized they were no longer by the water or in the woods. No, they were somewhere much different. "Welcome home, Henry." Slowly, Henry made out the large structure in front of him and recognized it from the Book. "Pan, be a gentleman. Lead us into the castle."

* * *

Once Gold knew where the Wardrobe was, all he had to do was wave his hand and it was in the living room. Everyone staggered backwards as the large piece of furniture took up half of the room.

"Are you sure this will work?" David asked Gold. He was a big a believer as anyone, but that didn't mean he couldn't have doubts.

The Wizard ran his fingers over the intricate and detailed lines. "It should." Gold fought the urge to rest, his knees weak from Cora's magic on the dagger. If they succeeded in finding Henry, it will have all been worth it. "Are you ready?" he directed at the kids.

Dani stepped forward boldly, while Dakota and August were more tentative. Regina stood behind her children and rested her hands on the twins' shoulders. "All you need to do, and I'll help you, is touch the Wardrobe. Picture your magic, visualize it and send it into the wood."

"If this does indeed work," Gold said. "We'll have little time to pass through. I suggest we all pair with a young one, or two, for safety." Every other adult nodded stiffly. "Very well, prepare yourselves." Regina showed her kids what to do, and they followed suit. When she closed her eyes, they closed theirs. For a moment, nothing happened. The room was quiet, save for the nervous breathing. Then, through the muted space, a low hum traveled through the group and vibrated the floor. When Regina opened her eyes, she was blinded by the multi-colored rays that fled from all of their hands on the Wardrobe. "It's ready!" Gold shouted over the noise. The door flew open and Emma ushered Dani and Dakota inside. Regina closed it, waited three seconds, and then waited for the next pair to climb in. They did this until it was just Faith and Regina left. After the brunette shut the door behind her, that was it. Everything went black, and all she felt was Faith's small hand in hers.

* * *

Cora's heels made a sound that rebounded off of the walls of the hallow castle. The rooms had been vacated, furniture and other valuables were missing, spiderwebs collected in the corners, and dust covered any and all empty surfaces. Pan had never seen such a large home, let alone been in one. After countless years on an island, the Mills Kingdom proved quite shocking.

When he was younger, Henry wanted nothing more than to visit the Enchanted Forest. He wanted to see where his family had grown up and lived most of their lives. But now, as an adult, and as hostage, Henry just wanted to go home. More than that, he wanted to see Maya.

"What it is?" Pan asked no one in particular. It took Cora and Henry a second to realize Pan's shadow had returned and was floating above them. In a sound undetectable to normal humans, the shadow relayed the information he'd attained. "They're here?"

Cora snapped her head up to the cryptic soul. "So soon?"

For the first time since he'd been captured, Henry smiled at Cora and Pan. "I told you they'd come."

* * *

It seemed as if everyone landed in a different part of the Enchanted Forest. Lucky for them, they were with their partners. When Maya pushed herself off of the ground, she examined her surroundings carefully. Having grown up in the system, she had learned quickly to accommodate for new settings. Fortunately, Snow also knew the area.

"Where's everyone else?" Maya questioned. She readjusted the bow over her shoulder. It was the one Snow had given Henry before he went off to college. It even had his initials carved into its grip.

Snow squinted through the black night, "I don't know, but they can't be far."

"Snow!" a man's voice called out to her.

"David?" Snow pulled Maya behind her and chased after David's voice. "David!" The two women scrambled through the trees, blind to everything around them. Snow practically ran into David, but he caught her, as he always did. He towed Johanna behind him, who gave her mother a frightened hug. "Where are the others?" he asked urgently.

"We're here," Emma said from somewhere around them. Maya could hear branches snapping under someone's weight, and she could hear Emma's panting. The blonde had her arm slung over Dani and Dakota's shoulders.

"Emma?!"

"Gina?!" The group waited patiently for Regina and saw a small fireball come towards them. Emma almost toppled over when Faith threw her arms around her.

The flame in Regina's hand grew and so did its light. "Where are Gold and August?"

"You didn't see them?" Emma countered, her already irregular heartbeat nearly drove her mad.

"Do not fear, dearies. We are safe," Gold answered as he appeared behind a tree, a purple light in the palm of his hand. August ran up to his mothers and hugged them both. Regina knew, if anything were to happen to her children, she would never forgive herself. And, she would have revenge on her mother.

"Everyone's here?" David double-checked and scanned the group. "Great. Now what do we do?"

* * *

**A/N** - Hey there! Thanks for the positive reviews! I know it's probably a little different than my other pieces, but that's what I'm going for. I also know some of my other fics had better descriptive details, and I'm definitely working on that. Upcoming chapters will be more visually stimulating, I hope. Thanks for following the story, and I hope you're enjoying it! :-)


	12. Maya

**A/N - **"wildpartyhouse24" pointed out some plot holes in the story. My worst fear. Haha, but really, I'm **SOOO** sorry if you've noticed them too! I thought I had things pretty lined up, but I apparently I didn't. So, thank you bearing with me! I've since fixed what was mentioned. As to Emma's magic, it was a decision I made to have her not use it. She's done it in the past, but the Emma I see, the one who's evolved into this one, isn't a huge fan of it. She prefers hands on fighting. I hope that clears a few things up. And please, if you notice something that doesn't fit, let me know, and I'll fix it as soon as possible! Again, **truly** sorry for the mix-ups! Thanks for being so awesome and understanding! Now, on with the story!

* * *

When Maya and Henry met for the first time, they were both working on a controversial story. His publisher thought Henry could handle it, seeing as Henry had more charm and charisma than any other journalist at the paper. Never one to say no to a story, Henry accepted eagerly.

He had his canvas messenger bag slung over his shoulder, packed with his laptop, three notebooks, one planner, four sharpened pencils, and two ballpoint pens. His tape recorder sat comfortably in his breast pocket as he made long strides down the empty sidewalk. A few times, he glanced up at the sky and marveled at the cloudless atmosphere. What hung over him was bluer than the ocean, and wider than the sea.

As Henry turned onto the corner of Grove and Platt- the street with the apartment he was heading to- he tripped on his untied shoes. Regardless of the years Emma and Regina spent warning Henry about the safety hazard, it hadn't stuck.

Henry flew forward with his arms outstretched for the cement. His bag broke his fall, but his tape recorder dropped out of his pocket and rolled onto the ground. Embarrassed was not a strong enough word to describe Henry's reaction. With a heavy sigh, he pressed his palms on the concrete and pushed himself up. Henry did a mental check to make sure he had everything, when he noticed his pocket was empty.

"Looking for this?" a woman asked coyly.

Henry turned around slowly, his eyes traveled from the ground up. The moment he saw her face, Henry's turned bright red. "Uh, yeah, thanks," he mumbled nervously. He graciously accepted his, now broken, device. His fingers brushed the woman's and goosebumps rose over his arms.

"You're Henry Mills, right?" She smiled and showed her bright, white teeth, her hand out.

"Henry Mills-Swan. Yeah, I am." He shook the woman's hand, stunned by her beauty. "You are?"

"I'm Maya. Maya Hernandez." Her bronze eyes drew Henry in and grabbed his attention. "I'm from the Boston Newsletter."

Henry smiled back at the woman, "The competition?"

"Depends on how you look at it," Maya smirked. Her golden, brown hair touched her shoulders perfectly. It didn't go past, or hang too high, and shaped her heart-shaped face impeccably. Maya nodded to the red-painted door, "You were here before I was."

"Ladies first," Henry countered. There was a slight tease in his voice, one even he didn't recognize. With his pride still slightly wounded, Henry pushed himself up the brick steps and opened the door for the enchanting woman. "After you."

* * *

After two hours of an interview, Henry and Maya walked out of the apartment in a heated debate.

"So, you think the mayor should be able to use the city's money on his family? Even after talking to his cousin who says the the kids have trust funds?" Maya questioned defensively.

Once again, Henry held the door for Maya and spoke as she brushed past him. "Not exactly. I just think there's always two sides to every story."

"But you just heard the other side," Maya challenged, her thin brows furrowed. She couldn't understand how someone who seemed so smart, could be on the wrong side of justice.

A hesitant pause ensued between the two. In their short time together, a connection sparked. They both felt it. Henry was drawn to Maya's passion, and Maya was drawn to Henry's kindness. If only they could find a common ground. Henry fidgeted with the plastic recorder in his hands, "You know, this is a great topic. You wouldn't, uh, wanna grab a cup of coffee and talk about it more... would you?"

Maya tried not to smile. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, but she controlled it and shifted on her feet. "Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. Mills?"

"Mills-Swan. And, I guess I am," Henry chuckled.

"You guess?"

"Ok, yes, I'm asking you out on a date," Henry blushed. He was never a forward person, and was taken aback by his own bravery in this situation. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said he was under a spell.

Maya finally let the smile crack through as she looked into Henry's green eyes. "Then yeah. I'd love to. But, no coffee, just tea."

* * *

Maya remembered her first date with Henry with a clarity most would consider unnatural. As she sat around the campfire. listened to the flames crackle, and took mental pictures of Emma and Regina holding their children, Maya wished she could go back to that day. With what she knew now, she wanted to relive the day she met Henry and warn him- she wanted to go back to any days she had with Henry if it meant she could prevent any of this from happening.

She could see Henry so plainly, standing in front of his after falling flat on his face. The red button down shirt he had worn was slightly untucked, his brown belt was on the third ring, his dark-wash denim jeans, and his brown, leather boat shoes. Henry's hair was short, but shaggy, and his face was clean shaven. There were no signs whatsoever that would have hinted at his secret. The funny thing was, Maya realized, was if she had a second chance at it- meeting Henry, moving in with him, loving him- she'd do it all again. She'd never felt a love like his, and she had never loved anyone the way she loved Henry. He was the first person to ever make her feel like she belonged. He listened to her stories about her foster homes. He soothed her when she woke up in cold sweats after nightmares. And he loved her with everything he had, which Maya felt.

She held onto that love as she sat in the middle of various conversations around her. Battle strategies, bedtime stories, magic spells- they were all just noise to Maya. Whatever she was told to do, she'd do. Whatever she had to learn, she'd learn it. She'd do whatever she had to do to get Henry back. And that was a promise.


	13. Reasons

Like her mother, Regina conjured tents for everyone around her; one for the kids, one for Snow and David, one for Gold, one for Maya, and one for herself and Emma. They were all set in a circle, less than five feet apart from one another, with the extinguished campfire in the center.

It was in the dead of the night that Gold's earth-shattering howls spilled into the air and awoke the family. Regina and Emma were the first ones to Gold's canvas encasement and what they saw before them was something neither had expected. The older man lay in his sleeping bag, convulsing and moaning, his face contorted in torment. Words were lost from his dry lips, but the women knew what was happening.

"Grandpa Gold?" August had wandered towards the opening in Gold's tent, his own expression of concern combined with the wizard's. David and Snow were the next to arrive on the scene, and David ushered August away. He watched over the the rest of the kids, including Maya, for that matter. None of them needed to see Gold in such a state.

"What's happening?" Snow asked as she knelt by Gold's feet. "The dagger?"

For as dark as it was, Snow could see Regina's shadow nod. "Something's not right. Gold shouldn't be in this much pain."

* * *

"Stop!" Henry roared through the empty castle. His voice rang through the long corridors and out of the shattered windows, but Cora acted as though she hadn't heard him. Pan stood next to a, now chained, Henry with a nauseating smile on his face. He pulled Henry by the hair and made him watch Cora hold Gold's dagger over the open flame. "Your'e killing him! Stop!"

When the "M" and the "P" were sufficiently scorched away, Cora nodded to herself and admired her handiwork. "That should serve as a fair warning."

"You're insane," Henry said through aggravated grunts. His wrists started bleeding as the shackles hugged his skin, but it didn't bother him. It was the last thing Henry was thinking about.

Cora placed the dagger in a velvet sheath and rested it on the wooden mantle, her own leather gloves reflected the firelight. "Henry, dear, don't tire yourself. If I'm correct, your mother will soon know of our location, and I'm sure your family would rather see you healthy than, well, this," she motioned to his limp form. "It does no one any good to wear yourself out now. So, I'll say it again, do calm down, as you'll see your family again. If only for the last time."

* * *

By the morning, Gold's cries turned into soft, pathetic grousing and his twitching had stopped. David and Snow were on Gold duty as everyone else cleared the campsite, ready to move base.

All nine bodies moved soundlessly and expeditiously through their small plot of land. They quickly gathered the few items they'd brought with them: swords, lists of spells, bows, etc. Somehow, they managed to fly by each other without touching- without slowing down. Except for Maya. In an unfortunate turn of events, the young woman tripped on a tree branch hidden on the ground by orange leaves, and rammed into Dani.

"Watch it!" the teenager grumbled as she nudged the apologetic woman. Maya had been aware of the thin ice between herself and Dani, thought she didn't quite understand why. "Just stay out of the way," Dani warned.

The 13 year-old pushed past Maya, who wasn't ready to drop the topic. "Did- did I do something to offend you? Did I say something?" All of the times Dani had rolled her eyes when Maya spoke, every annoyed glare was not lost on the curious girlfriend. She noticed it all.

Dani was facing away from Maya, her hands balled into fists at her side. "Why are you here?"

Maya thought it was too simple of a question, one that had a clear answer. "To help Henry."

Dani shook her head. "Why'd you even come to Storybrooke?"

Neither of them were conscious of Emma eavesdropping just several feet away from them. Even if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. The can of worms had been opened. Maya clutched Henry's bow to her chest and spoke carefully, "Because I wanted to meet you. Because Henry loves you and talks about you all the time." In a quiet voice, Maya added, "Because I wanted a family."

"Didn't you think there was a reason Henry never told you about us?" Dani could feel her heart speeding with every breath she took. The part of her mind that normally told her she'd regret these kinds of things was turned off, as she let it all come out.

Emma heard every word that came from Dani's mouth, and while she wanted to stop it, she waited just a few seconds more. She watched as Maya bravely took several steps in Dani's direction. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry. I really am-"

"You don't get it! You don't belong here! You're not like us!" Dani finally turned around, her voice held the same resonance as Regina's did.

Maya inhaled deeply and assessed the situation. For whatever reason, Dani was upset, that much was clear. But, Maya was not going to let it distract them from their goal. "I'm sorry for whatever I did," she repeated slowly, "but, I told you, I'm here to help Henry. I want him back just as much as you do. I love him too."

* * *

Cora had taken it upon herself to fix up their corner of the castle. Shattered candle holders were replaced with elegant chandeliers, broken windows were mended and the excess shards of glass were gone, dust was removed from all of the surfaces, and to top it off, Cora had changed into another dress.

Pan was content in his mossy-green garments as he patrolled the corridors. His own magic was limited off of Neverland, and he had no wish to use it unless necessary. He observed the way Cora freely glided up and down the halls, an increasing amount of doubt in his own mind. As of yet, their plan was still in place. But, after several days with the Queen of Hearts, Pan was growing wary of her true intentions.

While Henry slept on the floor, his iron handcuffs connected to the wall, Pan marched up to Cora impatiently. "What are we waiting for? There's no way they'll find us in time. We have to act now!"

Amused at the young man's audacity, Cora pinched his chin. When Pan swatted her hand away, a new fire erupted in her eyes and Pan was the one suspended in the air, gagging for oxygen. "I will be the one to decide when we do, or do not proceed. Is that understood?" Pan tried to nod, but his head wouldn't move. "Good." Cora lowered him back to the ground and released her magical hold.

Pan's courage had not been dented, despite Cora's actions. As he massaged his neck, he glowered at the older woman. "You're forgetting one thing. I have what you need," he clasped the glass vile that hung around his neck. "There's no one else stopping me from using it."

Cora found this banter entertaining, as she was never one to concede. "By all means, try it, Pan. Do not forget, however, that you are _not _invincible. Everyone has a weakness, and if I do not find it first, my daughter and the others will."

On the other end of the room, a cognizant Henry focused on keeping his head low and his eyes closed. The longer Pan and Cora believed him to be asleep, the more information he received. Every time he heard Cora speak, a new wave of shivers were sent down his spine at the ice in her voice. He had no idea how his mother had survived all those years with _that_ woman.

As his captors held their conversation, Henry fumbled with the bobby pin behind his back. It was one of Maya's. The night of the party, she'd asked him to hold onto a few in his pocket as her own slacks didn't have room for them. In a small way, Henry felt as though Maya were with him.


	14. More Words

Three days after arriving in the Enchanted Forest, the family still hadn't found Henry. Every minute that passed felt like a grueling decade to each of the rescue party's members. If you asked the adults, it was worse than their time in Neverland. Four out of five of them knew the forest like the back of their hand, yet there was no sign of Henry.

Regina and Snow, ironically, lead the team in the front, while Emma and Maya brought up the rear. The kids, along with David sporting Gold on his shoulder, made up the middle. The adults thought it was safer that way. If anything were to happen, they could protect the children. Maya, herself, had come up with the idea. In the course of one week, the survivor skills she'd obtained from foster care had returned, and all she cared about was keeping those younger than her safe. It didn't matter that they could do magic, Maya couldn't help but be reminded of herself as a kid. Plus, she knew Henry would want them protected.

As Emma and Maya soldiered on, the blonde was finally given the chance to say what she'd wanted to for days. "Don't take what Dani said personally. She does that to us too; tells us she loves us, then stomps off to her room and slams the door. She's a teenager. It's part of the package."

Maya was thrown off by Emma's sudden bit of advice. In all honesty, she'd been wanting to talk with her as well. Maya just didn't know how to start a conversation. Fallen leaves crunched under her footsteps as Maya opened her mouth. "How'd you do it?"

Emma didn't need to ask for further elaboration, because she knew what Maya meant. There was almost an unspoken connection between kids in the system, and people who had grown up in it. No explanations were required, no reasons. Emma's stride neither quickened nor slowed, as she responded honestly and calmly. "I've asked myself that same question. But, the truth is, I don't have an answer." She looked at her children in front of her, and then at Regina. "I love my kids to death, but I disagree with Dani; you belong here just as much as we do."

"No, she was right. I'm not like any of you guys," Maya mumbled.

"Because you can't throw fireballs? That's doesn't matter."

Considering everything they'd been through, Maya saw no reason why she couldn't tell Emma the truth. "You know, when I was younger, I used to wonder what it was like to have a family. I never knew what it felt like to love someone, or be loved by them until I met Henry. Now he's gone."

"He's not gone," Emma said firmly. "We found him before, and we'll do it again. Family always finds each other. It's our job to be there for him, to save him."

"And what if I can't be there the way you all can?" Maya whispered.

"That won't matter to him, because if I know my son, I know he's already madly in love with you. And, he knows that when you love someone, you never let them go." Emma stopped for a moment and put her hands on Maya's shoulders. "Maya. I know what it's like to be traded from one foster home to another; to be afraid to lose everyone you care about. But, I also know what it's like to finally have a family, and that once you do, nothing can ever break that bond. We're going to get Henry back, and you two _will_ get your happy ending. You understand?" She stared intently in Maya's eyes, and briefly saw herself in the young woman. Maya nodded solemnly, thankful for the reassurance. "Good. Now, let's go save Henry."

* * *

Henry had faced death many times before. And, each of those times, he'd survived. However, as he sat in the foreign castle, Henry was finding it harder and harder to fight. Not because he was willingly giving up, but because his body was giving in. He hadn't eaten anything Cora or Pan had give him, as he didn't trust the food, and he'd refused to drink the water he was offered. Neither Cora or Pan forced Henry accept their offerings. If Henry wanted to starve himself, they were not going to stop him.

With every day that passed, Henry hoped his family was close. He relayed the possible scenarios in his head of what would happen when they finally found him. Would they kill Cora? Would Pan be defeated? Would Henry himself actually do anything to stop it? At that point in time, Henry was not opposed to either Cora or Pan being killed. In fact, he was hoping they would be.

If he were being completely honest with himself, Henry would admit that his chances of survival were slim. Cora's magic had no boundaries, and Pan's determination could move mountains. With the idea of his possible demise in mind, Henry had asked Cora for paper and a pencil. When she asked him what he wanted it for, Henry told her it he wanted to write a letter to his family- a goodbye note, of sorts. Cora laughed playfully, but saw no problem with Henry's request. If anything, she found it clever. It was the one luxury she would allow her only grandson.

As Henry scribbled down endless letters and formed various words, he only saw one person in his mind: Maya. He cared for his whole family, but Maya was the one he wanted his last words to be for. It only took one sheet of paper for Henry to write down everything he had to say. Gently, he folded the note into quarters and tucked it into his back pocket. When the time was right, Maya would receive it. In the end, she would know just how much Henry loved her.

Cora and Pan made the foolish verdict one night to discuss the logistics of their plan while Henry was "asleep." Henry had taught himself how to stay as motionless as a statue, keep his chin to his chest, and his breathing rhythmic enough to create the illusion he was unconscious. As Cora and Pan talked away, Henry heard every single word. While the actual plan itself was never out-right spoken, the various details- the small puzzle pieces- were revealed. Henry then knew just what he and his family had to do in order to survive.


	15. When Dreams Become Reality

Pan furiously paced through the halls of the castle, and all Henry did was watch. He took note of Pan's body language, his facial expressions, his clenched jaw. Pan was crumbling, and Henry knew it.

Although still chained to the wall, Henry took advantage of Pan's current state. "She'll kill you, you know. My grandmother. She'll kill you without thinking twice."

Pan came to a halt in front of Henry, and without a word, kicked him in the stomach. "You know nothing," he hissed.

Through exasperated gasps, Henry smirked up at Pan. "The second you get in her way, your heart is hers. You heard her: she'd kill her own daughter if it meant she got more power. You think she cares about you? The moment she gets tired of you-" Another blow to Henry's face came, and Pan felt no remorse. Through a bloody nose, Henry didn't give up. "Did you say goodbye to your Lost Boys, Pan? Do they know you might not be coming back?"

"Enough!" Pan pressed his fingers around Henry's throat and thrust his head into the wall. Henry's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he vaguely heard Pan's words. "In the end, you'll be begging to die and join your family."

* * *

That night Maya dreamt of Henry. She didn't know where she was, except that she was surrounded by flames and she stood on, what looked like, a chess board.

Henry was at the opposite end, calling her name through the crackling fire. Maya didn't realize she could talk until she opened her mouth. "Henry?"

A relieved smile crossed his face as he jumped through the scalding inferno. When he wrapped his arms around Maya's waist, it felt real. Henry pulled himself away just enough to look at his girlfriend and give her a quick kiss. Maya saw the bones in his cheeks protruding, his purple nose, his cracked bottom lip. He looked like Henry, but not the one she knew. "Maya, you gotta trust me. I don't have a lot of time to explain. You're gonna wake up soon, but you have to know, I'm at the castle. Tell my moms, tell Regina, we're at Cora's castle."

"Wait, what-"

"No, Maya, you gotta listen. We're at the old castle, and I know where Cora's heart is. Pan sent his shadow after you guys. Get it, and you'll get Pan, understand? Cora needs him more than she realizes. We'll worry about the heart when you get here. You hear me?"

Maya shook her head in confusion, "Henry, I- I don't get it. What's happening?"

"I told you, there isn't enough time. Just believe me when I say, this isn't a dream. Remember, tell them where we are. Just focus on getting the shadow." He watched Maya's face scrunch up the way it did when she tried to solve a problem. "I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you, Maya. You shouldn't have found out like this." When she heard Henry say this, Maya knew it was really him. She didn't get how or why, but it was Henry. Suddenly, the room started to shake, and Henry's grip on Maya tightened. "Maya, don't forget that I love you. _Never_ forget that."

Henry started to let go, but Maya stopped him. "Please, stay."

"I can't, Maya. I'm sorry, I have to go."

Maya felt Henry slip through her fingers, and she watched as he walked away from her, unable to run after him. The flames grew in size until they completely blocked her view of her boyfriend. "Henry!" Her voice bounced off of the floor and echoed through the tiny space. "Henry!"

"Maya! Wake up!" a soft voice urged. Emma knelt down beside Maya and shook her gently. "Maya, come on, it's ok."

As she slowly came to consciousness, Maya realized she'd been yelling Henry's name. Once she realized Emma was the one next to her, Maya shot up into a sitting position and blinked rapidly. "I know where Henry is."


	16. The Team Assembles

**A/N - **A couple people are wondering how Maya reached Henry without a sleeping curse. I don't wanna give too much away, but... Anyone wonder why the boys were alone when Henry was antagonizing Pan? P.S, I started writing this before it was revealed the only way to catch Pan's shadow was with Neal's coconut map... So we're going to ignore that. Sorry! Also, sorry for the slow updates. There's been some family stuff I needed to take care of. Thanks for your patience!

* * *

"What do you mean you saw Henry?" Emma questioned. After waking Maya up from, what she thought, was a nightmare, she pulled brought her out by the campfire. Emma woke up the other group members, if they weren't already, and they all gathered in a circle.

With 10 pairs of eyes staring at her, Maya was losing the color in her cheeks. Their fire reminded her of the room she had just been in, except Henry wasn't there with her. "He came to me."

Although she tried to mask her doubt, Emma couldn't help but frown. "You mean, you _think_ you saw him?"

"No, he was there. There were flames and-"

"Flames?" Regina cut in. She, David, Snow, and Emma all wore the same expression. The kids, on the other hand, were clueless. They'd only ever heard bits and pieces of that story, but never the whole thing. Dani sat with her arms crossed over her chest, already prepared to shoot down Maya's tale.

Emma looked at Regina, a spark of hope ignited in her chest. "You don't think-"

"It's not possible," Regina asserted. She didn't enjoy being the bearer of bad news, especially when it was Henry they were talking about. "Maya would have to be under a sleeping curse."

"Curse? What- no! He was there!" Maya protested indignantly. "He- he told me he loved me," she murmured. Her gazed shifted to the bright orange flames, and all she could see was Henry. She could still feel his arms around her.

"Regina, isn't there another way without a curse?" Snow wondered. She saw the excitement drain from Maya's face, and her heart ached for the younger woman. If there was any hope, they had to hold on.

"No, not that I know of. Maya, what exactly did Henry tell you?" Regina asked the bewildered woman.

Maya played with the zipper on her jacket, a habit she'd picked up from Henry. "He said they took him to Cora's castle," she recited with her eyes closed. "He knows where Cora's heart is, and that she sent Pan's shadow after us." She flashed her eyes open and peered at the group. "He told me Cora needed Pan more than she thought, and if we get his shadow, we'll get him."

Regina dropped her face into one hand, and pressed the other one against her back. She wanted to believe, as much as everyone else, that Maya had truly seen Henry. However, she couldn't deny the red flags. "Regina, if we know where he is," Emma began, "then we should go."

"Did he tell you where Cora's heart is?" Snow asked Maya.

"No, he- he said we could worry about that when we found him," Maya mumbled. She hungrily searched Regina's face, and she could read the apprehension in her body language.

"And you're sure it was Henry? You're absolutely certain?" Regina drilled.

"Who else would it be?" Maya was clueless as to what Regina was insinuating. As far as she knew, Henry had been there with her. It _had _to have been him.

Regina looked up with a daunting expression on her face. "Cora."

* * *

When Cora returned to the castle, Henry was hanging on by a thread. His left eye was swollen shut, his nose was discolored and bleeding, and his clothes were covered in dirt from Pan's shoes. "I see you've been busy," she mused.

Henry's words rang in Pan's ears, despite his best efforts. "Never mind him. Did it work?"

Cora pat Henry's head like a puppy, then brushed her hands clean. "Yes, yes, it worked. The girl believes it was Henry she saw. I must say, she is quite gullible."

"Maya?" Through the hot aches in his body, Henry whipped his head up at Cora. "What did you do to her?!" he growled. He summoned the energy he had left and directed it into that one question.

"Don't work yourself up, Henry. We only gave her a hint," Pan jeered. "A little nudge, if you will."

"I swear to God, if you hurt her-"

A wicked cackle danced on Cora's lips as she grinned at her grandson. "_I _haven't done anything, my dear boy. _Y__ou_ did."

* * *

"Then it was all fake?" Maya

Regina's mind was working overtime as she connected the dots. "Not all of it. I do believe that they're in my mother's castle. It would only make sense." Maya scoffed to herself. Nothing about this situation made any sense.

"Then we've gotta go!" Emma repeated, ready to attack. They'd waited long enough. Now that they knew where Henry was, they had make a run for it.

"It could be a trap," Regina pointed out. "If I know my mother, she's planned every detail of this."

"And we can take her, Gina. Look, there's 11 of us, and two of them. They've got no chance!" Once again, a group discussion had turned into an Emma/Regina fighting match.

"Not without magic, Emma! You saw what happened at Granny's; I'm powerless!"

"But that's why we trained the kids! So they could use _their _magic!"

"My mother's too strong! Even if we got into the castle, even if we found Pan's shadow, we're going up against a woman who's just come back from the dead!"

"So, what are you saying? We just give up?! We don't even try?! Dammit, Regina, that's our son!" Emma and Regina seemed to be competing at who could yell the loudest. The rest of the family had no choice but to sit and listen.

"Of course not, Emma! Gods, I know he's our son! How dare you!"

"Regina's right, it could be a trap!" David jumped in suddenly. "We know what Cora's capable of; how dangerous she is!"

"So we do nothing?" Snow asked her husband dubiously. She hadn't expected David to participate in the clash. And, if she had, she'd have thought David would be on Emma's side.

"That's not what I'm saying!"

Immediately, all four adults, with the exception of Gold, were butting heads. Emma and Regina's faces were turning red, Snow and David had veins popping out of their necks, and Gold was struggling not to surrender to the pain. It was as if the adults were the young ones, and the young ones were the adults. Although, technically speaking, Maya was an adult.

After several minutes of intense screaming, a verbal whistle was blown. "STOPPPP!" Maya dug her heels into the dirt as far as they could go until she was standing over her peers. Emma and Regina stared at Maya, instantly embarrassed at their squabbling. David and Snow avoided eye-contact with each other. As she shoved the tears away, Maya spoke smoothly and mindfully. "We're not gonna find Henry if we can't stop fighting! I don't care what this lady can do, or what Peter Pan's shadow wants. All I care about it getting Henry back. You said we had to do this together? Then fine, we'll do it together. But you have to stop arguing, or we're never gonna get to him."

"She's right," a silent party had agreed. Everyone looked at the young girl who'd finally opened her mouth, equally shocked that she supported Maya's stance. "Henry would've said the same thing," Dani admitted. The teenager planted her feet on the ground, stood up, and placed herself next to Maya. "I'm not scared of Cora or Pan," she informed her parents.

Without her realizing it, Dani's siblings, and her cousin, stood up and joined her. "I'm not scared either," Dakota proclaimed.

"Me neither," August chimed in.

"I'm not afraid," Johanna announced.

"I'm not afraid either. Um, ok, maybe a little," Faith added sheepishly.

All five kids, and Maya, had assembled together and surprised their mentors. Maya spoke with a conviction she never knew existed. "We just need to decide on a plan. Then we'll get to Henry and we can go home."

Aside from overwhelming mortification, Emma and Regina had never been more proud of their children than right then. The parents regretted how fast the kids had to grow up, but they couldn't deny the staggering amount of courage that emanated from them. It was as though Emma and Regina were getting a peek at their kids as adults.

Emma was the first to step forward. The fiery luminescence of the flames lit up her face and highlighted her golden streaks of hair. With a firm nod, Emma exhaled. "Then I guess we better start listening."

* * *

"Are you positive she believed you?" Pan was skeptical of Cora's story. Something about it didn't seem right.

"Of course, I'm positive!" Cora snapped. "Do you doubt my ability?"

Henry tried to push himself off the wall, but the chains were too short. The most he could do was raise his hands over his head. "I thought you only wanted me! You said you'd stay away from her!" His voice echoed through the barren palace, but that didn't matter to Cora or Pan. They found Henry's sorrow humorous.

Cora unveiled Gold's dagger from her possession and examined it playfully. "Don't you just love the influence of power? You can do whatever you wish, without worrying of repercussions."

* * *

After an hour of heavy conversations and decision making, the family had finally come to a consensus: they were going to Cora's castle. It had to have been Cora who appeared to Maya. She was the only one powerful enough to accomplish such a feat. At least, that was Regina's thinking. And, while Maya still wanted to hold onto the belief that it had been Henry, she had to face reality- whatever that meant.

Gold was deteriorating quickly, and it was apparent that he was running out of time. Although no other letters seemed to have been burned off, it didn't erase the fact that four had been wiped out. The sooner they found Henry, the sooner they got the dagger back.

While the campsite was getting packed up, Maya had volunteered to refill the water bottles. There was a creek just a few meters away and it was in earshot of the group. It was less than a two minute walk.

When Maya stepped onto the misshapen rocks, she took a moment and listened to the water rushing through the stones. With closed eyes, she could hear the wind rustling the trees, the flapping of a bird's wings, and the dim voices of the rest of the family. What she hadn't heard, however, were the footsteps behind her.

"Maya?" The young woman jumped slightly as she turned to face Henry's sister. Dani transferred her weight from one foot to the other with her hands crammed into her pockets. Her long, dark hair blew in her face, but Maya could still spot the unease in her posture. "Uh, I just wanted to let you know... what you said back there was really cool."

Taken aback by the random compliment, Maya wasn't sure on how to react. "Oh, um, thanks."

The two of them stood across from each other awkwardly and waited for the other to say something. "I also wanted to apologize," Dani confided. "What I said the other day... it was mean. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it," Maya smiled respectfully. Amongst other things, Maya was concentrating on keeping her balance over the uneven ground.

"No, I was being rude. And I was wrong; you won't slow us down, and you _do_ belong."

"Dani, really, it's ok. I understand." Maya appreciated the kind sentiment, but it was unnecessary. Whether Dani had meant her previous words or not, they'd seeped into Maya's head and taunted her. No matter what she did, she couldn't deny that she would never truly belong in the Swan-Mills family.

Maya had turned away and bent down by the water. As the current came her way, she held the empty bottles through the surface and let them with nature's own energy drink. "Ma told me what it was like," Dani said. "In the foster system." Maya's grip slowly started to tighten on the plastic containers and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "She said people would always make fun of her because of it; that she'd never felt more alone. She said the reason she didn't want to believe Henry wasn't just because it sounded crazy, but because if he was right, then it would mean admitting she finally found her home. And, she was scared."

Maya twisted the caps back on the bottles and rose onto her feet. With her back still turned to Dani, she nodded to herself. "You're mom's a really smart person, Dani. She... she knows what she's talking about." After taking a couple cleansing breaths, Maya rotated her body to face Dani and gave her a gentle smile. "Come on. Let's go find your brother."


	17. All That's Left

As they explored the limits of their newfound alliance, Maya was finding it easier and easier to fall into the role of responsible adult. She no longer felt like the young person she'd been treated as, but like a bold fighter along the lines of the rest of the mentors. Maya knew her knowledge was limited compared to Emma's or Regina's, but she now had the mindset of a protective sister. Dani, the twins, Faith, and Johanna were strong, but there was a reason they had to be trained. They needed people to look after them. If Henry were there, Maya was sure he'd do everything in his power to keep them safe. That's exactly was she was going to do.

Maya voiced her opinions to Emma and Regina, and though they were not totally convinced of her sudden readiness, they had learned to trust her. So, Maya was now in the leagues of Snow White, Prince Charming, The Evil Queen, and The Savior. Her new position allowed her to embrace the skills she'd been taught, without fear of failure. If there was one thing her short-lived experienced had shown Maya, it was that she needed to believe; in magic and in herself.

The group dynamics had shifted since the kids had proclaimed their heroism. They no longer were herded in the middle, but alongside an adult. If anything were to happen, they now realized, it was better **not** to have the only experts on the outside. They had to talk _with_ one another, instead of _at_ each other.

Although Regina could have very well teleported the group to Cora's castle, she still believed there could be an ambush awaiting them. As a result, Regina poof-ed them as close to the castle as possible, without actually entering the grounds. It was still a long trek to the palace, but they were that much closer.

Maya and Dani carried the rear. With Emma and Regina's trust, they allowed Dani to be paired with Maya. The two, very different, women knew their skills could balance each other's well, and used that to their advantage.

"Can I ask you something, Dani?" Maya thought aloud. The sun was just beginning to rise and make an appearance in the cloudless sky. It brought with it a welcome amount of heat and blanketed the cold family members.

"Sure." Daniela had the spell book her mother had given to her for her 10th birthday held to her chest. It wasn't exactly a list of defensive incantations, but Dani had a feeling it would come in handy.

"What's it like? Growing up with..."

"Fairy tale characters?"

Maya blushed, "Yeah. That."

With her focus on her parents, Dani found the question so simple, and yet so complex at the same time. There was so much their family had survived, so much she'd learned from her parents and grandparents. It was impossible to pinpoint one thing. "It's not so bad," Dani shrugged. "I mean, I know it's not 'normal,' but I don't really care."

"It's never scared you or anything?"

"Oh, we've totally had some freaky stuff happen. But, like Ma always says, everything always turns out ok."

Maya watched Regina walk with one arm around August, and Emma trudge on beside Dakota. Faith clung to her grandmother, while Johanna walked next to David, who was still carrying Gold. Maya stripped away the labels they all wore, and understood they were really just a family. For a brief moment, Maya realized they were exactly the type of family she'd always wanted. Whether she would admit this to anyone was a different story.

The duo's conversation died as they hiked further and further. Somewhere along the way, Maya tugged on Dani's shirt and stopped her from falling into a sunken hole on the ground. The small book slipped out of Dani's fingers as Maya grabbed her. The rest of the group marched on, unaware of the avoided accident.

"You dropped something," a female voice said from behind. The woman had frizzy, blonde hair, rosy red cheeks, and wore a bright, green dress. She held out the manual to Dani and waited for her to take it. "You're Regina's daughter," the stranger realized. Maya kept a hand on Dani's shoulder instinctively. She could feel the slight fear trembling through Dani's body. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Tinker Belle."

* * *

"They're getting closer," Cora decided. "I can feel Regina's magic."

Pan smiled in victory, as if they'd already won the battle. "How soon?"

"Hours. Two or three." Cora ad Pan talked as if Henry wasn't right in front of them. Two pair peered down at the withered man and admired their own workmanship. "It won't be long now, Henry. You'll see your family again."

"Before you kill them? Is it?" Henry groaned. With every word that left his mouth, a pounding in his head got louder and louder. It was as thought someone were beating a bass drum in his brain, oblivious to the noise level.

"My dear boy, I'm not planning on killing them. At least, not yet."

* * *

"Tinker Bell? Like, Peter Pan's Tinker Belle?" Maya asked suspiciously.

"You've heard of me?" the blonde inquired innocently.

"You helped my moms save my brother," Dani squeaked. She recognized the woman from her family's recollection of Neverland, but she'd never guessed Tinker Bell would be standing in front of her. "What are you doing off the island?"

Tinker Bell's face fell and she spoke in a whisper. "Hook sent me. He thought I could help you all. He would've come himself, but... I'm the only one with Pixie Dust anymore."

"You're here to help again?" Dani clarified.

Tinker Bell nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! Peter Pan's losing control! I've seen him at his worst. If Henry has any chance, you'll need all the assistance you can get!"

Reprieve filled Dani's lungs as she let out a deep breath. "We've gotta tell moms!"

The teenager started to sprint off towards the group, but Tinker Bell stopped her. "No! They can't know that I'm here! Pan's shadow is everywhere. I can only help from afar." The relief that Dani had just felt was replaced with confusion as cocked her head to one side. "I'll follow you to the castle through the woods and-"

"Wait." Maya stepped in front of Dani protectively, "How do you know where we're going? We didn't tell you."

Tinker Bell gave them an virtuous smile, "Oh, I overheard your conversations before."

"You've been following us for several hours?" Maya wasn't buying any of this woman's bull. She'd heard nine year-old's with better lies. "And you're just now making contact?" Maya extracted a bow from her bag. She aimed the arrow straight at the mysterious woman's chest, "Who are you?" Maya remembered Regina's words from earlier in the morning, _"Pan's shadow can transform into other people." _

"I told you, my name is Tinker Bell. I'm here to help find Henry," the pixie piped. She held her hands up in surrender, and her smile twisted into grimace.

Maya could sense Dani's trepidation. Hell, Maya herself was scared out of her mind. She didn't want to hurt anyone, let alone such a small-framed woman. "Dani, get your moms. Bring them back here."

Just as Dani started to run in the opposite direction, Tinker Bell spoke up. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

Without any warning, Tinker Bell was no more, and what floated before Maya and Dani was a dark, disturbing shadow. Maya's eyes widened in horror and all she could say was, "Dani, run!"

The two women took off sprinting as fast their legs could carry them, but it wasn't fast enough. The Shadow hovered above Maya and yanked her into the air. Her screams shook the forest as she was pinned to a tree. She didn't know what was happening, except that there was a sharp, painful piece of her being ripped apart. "Maya!" Dani cried helplessly. The young girl called her for her parents, and she could hear footsteps, but it wasn't quick enough. "Let her go!" Dani hollered. She tried throwing rocks at the Shadow, but it did nothing. It was almost as if she'd forgotten she had magic. "Let go!" Dani roared as she saw Maya's shadow being split from her body. This time, Dani threw out her hands and marked her target: the Shadow. With closed eyes, Dani let her powers erupt from her finger tips and she prayed it was working.

* * *

"AHHHHHHH!" Pan bellowed in agony. The immortal man clutched his sides and fell to his knees. Henry watched in disbelief as his captor spasmed in front of him, a sight he'd never thought he's see. Pan looked up at Cora with tears in his eyes and mirrored Henry's question, "What did you do?!"

Cora maintained a safe distance away from the dying man, her hands held in front of her. "Exactly what I said I would; I gave the family a clue."

Pan hissed pathetically, and Henry could physically see the life draining from Pan's body. His cheeks were paling, his arms were growing thinner, and Pan's breathing was slowing until, eventually, it came to a stop. All that remained of Peter Pan was his lifeless corpse, frail and still. His eyes were glossed over and his pupils dilated.

* * *

Back in the forest, Pan's Shadow slowly faded into nothingness and vaporized into the atmosphere. Emma and Snow could hear a faint grumbling from Maya, and Emma rushed towards her. "Regina, that's it. We've gotta get to Henry! You gotta magic us there."

Dani supported Maya on her shoulder and helped her into a sitting position. After checking Maya that way she would her own daughters, Regina pulled the woman to her feet. "We don't know what else is there. Cora told Maya about the Shadow for a reason."

"And now he's gone, it's just Cora," Emma said calmly. "Maya? Are you up to it?"

Maya stretched her limbs and cracked her neck, happy to be alive. It only took one look to the group to feel a renewed surge of energy. "Let's do it."


	18. Final Battle

Through a lot of begging and whining, Regina conceded and magically teleported the family to Cora's castle. They arrived in the familiar cloud of purple smoke, and marveled at the ancient, majestic home. Regina hadn't seen Cora's palace in decades. She hadn't been prepared for the magnitude of emotions that would arise from standing in her former kingdom- or, her mother's former kingdom.

With Dakota in one hand and Faith in the other, Regina swallowed hard as she pictured her mother waiting for them inside. Emma, Dani, and Maya positioned themselves next to one another, while Johanna, Snow, David and Gold waited at the other end.

Regina didn't look at her kids when she spoke, because if she did, she'd lose all of her courage. "Remember this," she breathed. "Alone, you're strong. But together, you're more powerful than Cora can ever be. Henry was right, we'll find her heart when it's time."

Emma heard the sorrow in her wife's voice and for the first time during their journey, wanted nothing more than to hold Regina. "We came here to get Henry, all of us. And that's how we're gonna leave, ok? Together."

David felt Gold stir in his grasp and shifted his hands on the man's coat. "Dearies," Gold rasped. Everyone, including Regina, glanced at the Wizard. "The dagger. Henry's life is worth more-"

"No," Regina grunted. "You heard Emma; we came here as a group, and that's how we're getting back."

"But, if Cora demands-"

"Gold," Emma hissed. "Shut up." She took one last mental picture of her kids, her wife, her parents, Gold, and Maya. "Ok. Let's get Henry back."

* * *

Cora smiled to herself as she felt the magic that lay just beyond her stone encasement. "They're here," she told Henry. "Your family has found you."

"You're dead," Henry bit. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, his vision was blurred, and he felt as though he'd been hit by a bulldozer. But, the last bit of hope that Henry had in him was growing. "They're never gonna let you live."

A sinister spark flashed in Cora's face as one eye twitched ever-so-slightly. "Henry, have you learned nothing? You can't kill someone without their heart."

"And where is that, exactly?" Henry wasn't so naive to believe Cora would tell him, but she didn't need to. He remembered his Book. If he was right... "What? Did you put back in that box? You bury it deep under the castle? Somewhere my family will _'never_' find it? Guess what? You still lose."

* * *

Like a stampede, Henry's family burst through the wooden doors of the castle; weapons at the ready, magic bubbled in their veins. The group looked to Regina for guidance, as she was the only one who knew where to go. "This way," she said stiffly before darting off down a dark hallway. No one questioned Regina's direction, but followed her.

They passed room after room, turned with every corner and intersection. Regina could feel her magic running out; a weightlessness fell upon her and she knew Cora was close. Three corridors, four passageways, and eight rooms later, the clan heard voices echo nearby. Maya identified one of them as Henry.

Just a few feet left. That's all that was keeping them from Henry. They were almost there, too, when Regina flew backwards. "Gina!" Emma squawked. The brunette was thrown into a concrete wall and knocked unconscious. Emma, Snow, and Maya had to restrain the kids from running after their mother.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice greeted. "I underestimated you all. I didn't expect you to bring your children as witnesses." Cora walked forward with Henry still in chains.

Henry almost didn't recognize his girlfriend. The clear shift in confidence blinded him, and all he wanted to run towards her. "Maya!"

"Henry?" Maya asked in tentatively. She locked eyes with Henry and her hold on Dani slackened slightly.

"Maya! Cora's heart! It's in a box-"

"Silence!" Cora shrieked. She shot her hand out in Henry's direction and instantly, he was suspended in midair. "That's enough of that."

"Cora!" Emma roared. The blonde took a running start for her son, furious at the Queen of Hearts. Cora beat the Savior to it, however; with the flick of her wrist, Emma was sent soaring into another wall, fresh blood fell down the side of her face. To prevent Snow and David from doing the same, Cora created a forcefield around them, binding them to their spot. She then threw one around Regina, Emma, and the kids, unaware of their own magic.

With the help of her rising adrenaline, Dani broke the purple plasma, along with the twins, Faith, Johanna, and Maya. "Let go of our brother!" Dani demanded.

Cora recovered from her shock in enough time to comprehend the power her grandchildren possessed. "And what is this? A couple children and a... mortal have come to stop me?" she asked in amusement. "Has your mother not told you of my capacity."

"She did," Dani said through gritted teeth. "We just don't care."

Cora let go of a choking Henry and dropped him onto the hard floor. While he gasped and coughed until his face turned red, Cora advanced on the kids. Henry regained enough oxygen to shout, "Cora's heart. Box from book! Get it!"

Dani and her siblings knew exactly what Henry was talking about. "Dakota, August you guys go look for it. Remember the locator spell." Dakota and August saluted dutifully and ran off together.

The closer Cora got to the kids and Maya, the harder Emma and the other adults fought to get out of their magical cages. Maya moved closer to Dani, ready to defend the young girl. Henry saw Maya do this, and understood whatever had been going on with Dani was over. Johanna mirrored Maya's movements with Faith, as the little girl tried to brave the scary witch walking their way.

Maya saw a shiny hilt of an object tucked Cora's waist belt and knew it to be Gold's dagger. With a swift wave of her hand, Maya sent the knife behind her and waited until she heard Emma catch it. "You foolish child!" Cora snarled, her hand outstretched for Dani's throat. Maya pushed the teenager out of the way and immediately felt invisible hands around her own neck. "And what do we have here? Young love? I assume you don't know, my dear. Love is weakness." Cora thrust her arm to the side and Maya crashed to the floor. Her next target was one of the other girls.

Maya fumbled quickly with the bow and arrow, this time with the full intent to shoot. Through squinted eyes, she could see Cora accelerate on Dani. "Hey!" Maya barked angrily. Cora spun around only to be hit by an arrow to the shoulder. "Get away from my boyfriend's sister!"

Cora didn't even flinch in pain, as she didn't feel any. She plucked the dart out of her shoulder with a cackle, "I admire your tenacity, dear. But I'm afraid to inform you, that you do not have the ability to defeat me."

"She may not, but we do," Dakota exclaimed from the doorway. She and August had been gone less than five minutes, but with their combined magic, had found the box Henry mentioned. The twins reformed with the others and clutched the box in their hands.

Cora flew towards the kids, a frenzy in her eyes. No children were going to get the better of her, much less come out triumphant. The Queen of Hearts was hardly a meter away from the group, when Dani, the twins, and Faith held hands together. While the youngest Swan-Mills child didn't have her powers yet, she still had magic in her. Without speaking, they created their own forcefield- one too strong for even Cora to penetrate.

At the other end of the room, Henry strained to stand up on his own. Cora saw no other option, but to change tactics. With the children in their own bubble, and Henry defenseless, Cora marched up to the young man and forced her hand into his chest. When she pulled it out, Henry's throbbing heart beat brightly in her palm. Slowly and maliciously, Cora wrapped her fingers around the red object until Henry was on the ground and writhing in pain.

Various cries of, "Henry!" erupted through the room. Out of nowhere, Maya had a new plan. "Dani, give me the heart."

"What? No!" Dani protested.

"Dani, trust me! On my call, use your magic to get the box back! Now give me the heart! " Maya said fiercely. She didn't wait for Dani to hand it over, Maya snatched it and broke out of their protective ring.

"Maya!" Henry choked out. He could see Maya's shoes running at him, but he couldn't stop her.

"Here. This is what you want? Take it," Maya held the antique holder out to the Queen. "Take it!"

Cora smiled wickedly and accepted what was hers. Without thinking, she gave Maya Henry's heart. Scared out of her mind, Maya put Henry's life source back into his chest. Henry grabbed Maya's arms violently and hoisted himself onto his feet. "Maya," he whispered.

There was not time for pleasantries yet. "Dani! NOW!" Maya ordered over her shoulder. Dani didn't have time to think twice, she used her powers to repossess the box from Cora's hands. Steam rose out of Cora's ears as she turned on the group of children once more. With her anger as her driving force, Cora broke through the kids' shield and snatched her box back. When she opened it however, it was empty. "Looking for this?" Maya asked quaintly, Cora heart in her hand. As the realization hit Cora, the forcefields she'd put up around the adults crumbled away and they were free. Regina, now awake, and Emma assailed the old woman. Maya happily gave Regina her mother's heart and glared at Cora. "If this is what love looks like, then it's not weakness. It's strength." She reached for Henry's hand, pulled him out of the line of fire, and back to the rest of the group, where the rest of his family ambushed him with hugs.

As Henry held onto his siblings, he tried to hold all of them at once, the way he used to when they were babies. With Emma and Regina behind him, Henry knew what they were about to do. He managed to grab hold of Maya as well, and mumbled into the small space, "Guys, don't look."

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**A/N** - Hope that was ok! I think about two more chapters and this story will be completed! Thanks for following, guys! 'Ppreciate it!


	19. The Lucky One

Thanks to a little friend called magic, the family had made it back to Storybrooke. Between Regina, Gold, and the kids, they found a way home. The group had been back for a week and Henry was slowly regaining his health. He was eating and drinking, his cuts and injuries were healing, his nightmares were starting to end, and he was crazy in-love. He still couldn't believe Maya had stayed with his family and fought alongside to save him. After everything she'd been through, after all the lies Henry had told, Maya had never left his side.

The couple stayed at Granny's Inn while Henry recuperated, yet still spent time at the Swan-Mills household religiously. If anything Maya and Henry were only at Granny's when they slept. In the days succeeding their journey, Maya was finally able to process everything that had happened without worrying about Henry getting kidnapped again. Her shock wore off on the fifth day, and her curiosity took control on the sixth and seventh. She had so many questions she wanted answers to, and the family was more than willing to answer them.

Gold was in better health following their return fro the Enchanted Forest; however, they could not undo the erased letters on his dagger. So, the Wizard had no choice but to find a new location to hide the object his life was tied to. He still stood by his offer, though. Had Cora not given up the dagger, he would have gladly surrendered his life for Henry's.

The family never did find out what Cora's motives had been. Regina's theory was that her mother wanted her kingdom back. Gold hypothesized Cora just wanted more power, and the only way she saw getting it was killing all of them. When Henry was asked what he thought, he never answered. It was over with, and that's how he wanted it to remain. Though, if he were forced to give his opinion, he'd say Cora wanted control over the Enchanted Forest. In truth, Henry had thought it out on his own. Pan had been right; Henry had the Heart of the Truest Believer, which held the most magic. If they had Henry, then they could rule over the entire land. At least, that was Henry's thinking.

Maya and Dani were almost inseparable. Since they'd gotten home, the two of them were always talking. When Maya wasn't questioning the family on their fair tale lives, she was with Dani or Henry. The six of them- Henry, Maya, Dani, Dakota, August, and Faith- visited the castle together almost everyday.

There was one day, however, that Henry stayed home with his parents while the others were at the castle. He told them he wasn't feeling strong enough, and although Maya insisted on staying with him, he assured her he was fine. When Henry was certain he and his parents were alone, he asked his moms into the living room.

Just like when he was younger, Henry sat in his chair while his parents occupied on the couch. Ever since they'd come back Emma and Regina were always touching each other somehow: holding hands, hugging, leaning on one another. Whatever had happened in the Forest had changed the couple, and Henry noticed it.

Regina and Emma waited for Henry to break the ice, as he was the one to call the meeting. They observed as their son rubbed his hands together nervously and licked his lips. "Guys, uh, I... I think I'm going to ask Maya to marry me." Henry braced himself for the explosive reactions from his parents- reactions that never came. "Uh, moms?"

When he looked up at Emma and Regina, they wore matching smiles. "Henry, you're either going to propose or your not. There is not 'thinking,'" Regina chuckled. "We were wondering when you'd tell us." Regina stood up, left the room momentarily, and returned with a small, velvet box. "For Maya," she said.

Henry took the jewelry case and opened it. What sat in the holder was not unfamiliar to him as he remembered exactly what it was from. "Thanks, moms."

Emma beamed at her son lovingly, "Maya's lucky to have a guy like you. She'll be lucky to have a husband like you, too."

Henry joined in and grinned to himself. "No. I'm the lucky one."


	20. Henry's Happily Ever After

On the eight day, Henry and Maya went to his castle just the two of them. It was the perfect day outside: no clouds, an enthusiastic ball of sun, 68 degree weather. Henry couldn't have asked for a better setting. As he held Maya's hand in his own, he practiced his lines over and over again. Nothing sounded right, and Henry's heart- the one that belonged to Maya- was racing faster than a hovercraft.

Henry helped Maya onto the wooden structure and stood in front of her. He couldn't even begin to fathom how he'd found someone so incredible, so loving and kind. The rays of sun that beat down on Maya accentuated her golden streaks of hair and mesmerized Henry. Her bronze eyes captivated him, and Henry felt like it he was meeting Maya for the first time again.

"Maya, you are a beautiful, intelligent, kindhearted, loving woman and I owe you my life," Henry said slowly. He laid his hands on her knees and searched her eyes. "I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve someone as amazing as you are. Even after everything we've been through, the fact that you never ran away... I don't understand. I never thought-"

"Are you ok?" Maya asked. She noted Henry's shifty eyes and his anxious demeanor. "Are you feeling all right?"

Henry laughed softly, "Yeah, Maya, I'm great. That's what I'm talking about, right there. The way you can care about someone... someone who lied to you-"

"Henry, you don't have to apologize."

"But I do, Maya. I should've told you the truth about my family and I didn't. When you love someone, you're honest with them. Maya," Henry said carefully. "You saved my life. You spent days with people you didn't even know, people who technically don't exist, you fought the nastiest woman I've ever met, you risked your life to save mine, and you found me in a foreign dimension."

Maya cupped Henry's chin and kissed his nose. A week and a half ago, she was angry. She was hurt and confused, and she was pissed that Henry hadn't been truthful with her. But now, with Henry alive and well, that had all faded from Maya's mind. "That's what family does, Henry. They find each other."

"You've been talking to my grandpa, haven't you?" Henry smirked.

"Actually, your mom- Emma."

Henry nodded to himself and made a mental note to thank Emma later. "Maya, there's something I have to ask you, but before I do that, you have to read this," he held out a crumpled, stained sheet of paper.

Maya tilted her head to one side and flipped the note in her hand. "What's this?"

"Please, you'll see."

With nervous fingers, Maya unfolded the letter and recognized the handwriting as Henry's. She looked up at her boyfriend and then back at the scribbled ink.

_"Dear Maya,_

_If you're reading this, I'm either gone, or I lived and thought showing you this was a good idea. I don't have much room to tell you everything I want to, so I'll be brief. The moment I saw you, when you gave me my recorder, I knew I loved you. The way you smiled at my clumsy manner, the way your hand brushed mine, your gorgeous smile. I have never loved anyone the way I love you, Maya. I don't know what they're planning and I don't care. I'll never stop loving you. If I didn't make it through this, just know that you will always be the love of my life. But, if I'm alive, and I gathered the fortitude to do what I've been wanting to, then you should probably look at me." _

After wiping the tears from her eyes, Maya followed the directions in document and glanced at Henry, who was now on one knee. "Maya Hernandez, you're my True Love. I can't imagine my life without you, and I would be honored to spend the rest of my existence with you. Will you make my the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" He held up an open box with an engagement ring tucked into the pouch; the subtle, blue diamond glinted under the sunlight. Maya was speechless. She felt as though a welt the size of a pingpong ball had formed in her throat and she couldn't say a word. All she could do was push herself off the plank and join Henry on the ground. She didn't care that she was wearing khakis and that the dirt was damp. She only cared about the man she loved. Maya held Henry's face gingerly and pulled him in for a kiss. When she pulled away, Henry smiled at the woman. "So... is that a yes?"

Maya chuckled through the tears that dropped onto her cheeks and her nose brushed against Henry's. "I would _love _to marry you, Henry Mills-Swan."

"You got it right, this time," he teased with a smug look. "Oh, uh, I think you're supposed to wear this," he said as he drew the ring from its home. He took Maya's left hand and slid the ring onto her engagement finger. "There. Perfect fit." Henry rose to his normal height and pulled Maya up with him. In a graceful movement, he swept his fiancee off the ground, his arms around her waist, their lips pressed against each other, and vibrated by the suppressed joyful laughter.

"I love you, Maya," Henry whispered in her ear.

Maya tucked her face into Henry's shoulder and kissed his chin. "I love you, Henry. Thank you."

"For what?"

The newly engaged woman smiled up at her husband-to-be, "You really don't know?" Henry shook his head innocently. "For giving me a family."

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**A/N - **Can't believe I did it again! I'm sooo sorry! Guess I have too many documents! This concludes "Operation: Save Henry!" Hopefully, you caught the Henry/Maya, Emma/Regina parallels. I purposefully left Cora's reasoning open-ended. It's up to your interpretations. Sorry if that's a little annoying, but I didn't want to disappoint with a reason that wasn't "good enough." Pssst, if you can tell me where the diamond is from, you get some major brownie points'! Thank you all for your patience and kind words! I hope you enjoyed this! There will still be some ficlets of "flashbacks," but it'll be hard to write without thinking of Maya ;-) Anyway, I really appreciate everyone who leaves such great reviews and who follows/favorites stories! I love you all :-)


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